You find yourselves standing before a four story tall structure which boasts balconies, a turret, and five chimneys. This abandoned building was one of the grandest in Alley but has obviously seen better days. Per the deed it is called Snake Skull Manor and sits on the northern entry to Snake Skull Alley. Several other building line the alley - many are shops and businesses.




This message was last edited by the GM at 16:57, Thu 10 Dec 2020.

Upon arrival, Raszire silently bows his head, closes his eyes, clutches his amulet, and softly mumbles a short prayer and casts Detect Magic.

"Now that we're here, let's see what mysteries this...", he scans the manor from side to side, top to bottom, "manor..." (he says with a slight tone of disgust) "has in store for us."

He very conspicuously begins to inspect the outer facade of the structure more intensely, waiting for the others to continue any conversation or advance towards the building.

OOC: I've got 10 minutes on this spell to determine if we encounter anything enchanted or cursed, so let's look fast, lol.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:43, Fri 03 Jan 2020.

Filimena looks up at Raszire. "Oh come now," she says, taking a step towards the front door, "This is nowhere near as awful as I imagined." She chuckles, leaving the dragonborn to decide whether she's being sarcastic.

Looking at the manor, Marik tries to keep attention to what the others are saying but his mind wander. That's a...house?  That's enormous! How can a family, let alone one person need that much space?  Oh,  look at those windows! They would need to be replaced. That roof too, it looks like it's leaking. That means the walls are probably full of mold. Serious carpentry work needed there probably. And those balconies....by the spirits....they looks like they are about to fall off. The construction looks well made though and the structure looks sturdy enough. All if would need is carpentry works made by a skilled hand, and...


Hand....Hand....Why does that word makes him thinks...


Oh, yeah! He almost forgot.


Marik turn to Disanz.


"Impressive....Oh...before enter...now that...we're alone...something to ask you...important"

He gets out the pair of bracers with the Vellardin crest.

"These...are elven....but found here...Titan's Gate. What could tell me...about these?"

Raszire's quick survey of the exterior reveals no signs of magic on building. There is a side stair that leads up to the second floor from the street.

There are four doors into the main floor - the main is a handful of step up, another comes in from the porch, while the third and fourth are on the back of the building at ground level.

[Private to Filimena the Gentle:
gambling din with a fallen barkeep
a secret hidden below
missing in the dark
eyes everywhere above
looking inward
]


This message was last edited by the GM at 17:45, Tue 12 Jan 2021.

I think I'll have Rasz move to the main entry. Since he's rather large and the facade looks worse for wear, I'll have him advance rather cautiously, checking for loose floorboards, even the possibility of traps.

13:46, Today: Raszire Toumash rolled 20 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 17.  Perception.

“Gambling din with a fallen barkeep,” Filimena murmurs to herself, following behind Raszire. “A secret hidden below, missing in the dark. Eyes everywhere above...”

She pauses, glancing curiously upwards, before continuing, “Looking inward.” What could that possibly mean?

"Rishaal..." note Marik "Thank you..." he says, while putting the gloves away in a bag. "These...not supposed to be here....as you know...attracts hungry eyes...please don't...mention it"


Seeing as both Raszire and Filimena are marching ahead, Marik gently nudge Rani forward. The panther trottle behind the dragonborn

OOC: Is the main entry barricaded as the picture seems to suggest?

The trio enter what was once the tavern’s taproom. Light streams in from the windows behind the group showing the large space to be filled with broken furniture, tarnished silverware, broken dishes, and other detritus.

In the dust on the bartop  letters slowly appear as though made by some unseen hand, they read CLOSING TIME! in the common tongue.

[Private to Raszire Toumash: you sense illusion magic but can't see the source]

Filimena turns slowly and nonchalantly towards Disanz, a deadpan expression on her face, raising a single eyebrow, as if welcoming him to comment.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 10:01, Sun 19 Jan 2020.

As he enters, Marik bows the head, says a few words in elven, like a prayer. As if she was used to it, the panther also stops and bows the head as soon as she hear the words.


[Language unknown: "Di T allleslin anro fice, A ven fo m fo rorea. Ofckwa tinonsres for blethooul misi fo whfi se re eromic, be Ne all lomi aienll linversti onsio eenndemen harepo. N om po evlaro seck o of ndeounent, ce pe ichiththi ad evmo ure lielen, il art le ver werwheave as llma ouolcaicwi. We a wi Tanimefo" ]

Marik - please give me a persuasion roll with advantage.

OOC: Marik rolled 7....with advantage. Hopeffully, they'll be smitten by the kitten
This message was last edited by the player at 21:47, Tue 21 Jan 2020.

A few glasses from the floor lift up and set themselves on the bar then a dusting rag begins to clean them.

Opening his eyes to the scene, Marik appear pleased and turn toward Disanz.

"Glad to see...they are there"

The spirit don't appear hostile and doesn't seems to want them out. Marik takes it as a sign they are welcome as guests, as per the tradition of the Gift to the Traveler.


Now what?....think Marik. He knows how to be a guest for forest spirits and ghosts, but he realize he has no idea of how to behave as a guest for city spirits, especially in a old tavern.

First things first... think Marik.

[Language unknown:
"Und...enckth llnc aswe... utoul man vorcomere res pe lesoustha st a cklist?" ]

The panther groan and rub her paws on the closest thing that pass for a rug near the entry to remove the sand, mud and dust before entering.

"Good" says Marik. "Allow us...help" he says to the "barkeep". He then proceed to give a few instructions to Rani. The big cat pick up a chair on the floor and set it straight, then picks up gently various pieces of silverware she pass to the elf. Marik get out a cleaning cloth of his own and remove some dust, before putting them on the bar near the "barkeep". He turns to see what the others are doing.

Filimena glares at the elf and the big cat, genuinely flabbergasted. "Erm. Okay," she says. Looking up at Raszire, she shrugs exaggeratedly and makes a face that says, Hey, don't look at me. I have no idea either.

Gingerly, she steps forward, and also begins helping to clean up, taking the opportunity to observe the room a bit more closely.

Filimena is going to use cleaning up as a pretext to investigate the room, basically. She's going to take note of any sign of danger or recent activity, but also is looking for a way that might lead down. I'm guessing this is a perception check?

21:16, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 20 using 1d20+3, rerolling ones with rolls of 17.  Perception.

The space is fairly large - some fifty feet long by thirty-five feet wide (roughly 15m x 11m).  Filimena finds little evidence of danger or recent activity, it is as though this place has sat abandoned for some time.

Picking up chairs and tables, Rani and Marik find a fair amount of the furniture have long been broken and a few pieces of tarnished silverware and broken stemware lie under the unkempt wood.

As the group cleans up, the unknown figure continues cleaning glasses at the bar.

Main / First floor MAP!

This message was last edited by the GM at 19:15, Fri 22 May 2020.

Not really sure how to react to the phantasm behind the bar cleaning as we enter the space, Raszire scans the room, a bit disconcerted.

“Forgive me, friends, for being doubtful of our “host”, but I am sensing that this spirit may not be what it appears to be. I believe that we are being set upon by some illusion, though I have yet to decipher its source.”

Rasz moves towards the bar to further investigate the strange phenomenon to which they are all witness.

08:25, Today: Raszire Toumash rolled 8 using 1d20 with rolls of 8.  Raszire’s Investigation.
OOC: Sorry for the delay. Vacation zapped a lot of my time recently.  Big oof on the investigation roll...

Marik lift up the head, turns to the "barkeep", then Razsire, then the "barkeep" again, looking puzzled.



"What...What do you see?


He remember seeing Raszire doing some kind of incantation before, a bit similar to when he asks the spirits to see the forces of arcane around them.


"You can see...magic? illusions?"

"Well, it's not so much that I can SEE magic, but that I can sense it. I can sense that what we perceive to be an apparition over here, conducting business behind the bar, is not so much a spirit, but an illusion, set to make us believe that there are spirits about."

OOC: So, I cast my Detect Magic spell before entering the building. It has a duration of 10 minutes. How much longer do I have before the spell runs out? I think I'd like to do some more Investigation in other parts of the house before it's spent...

OOC: Raszire - You have 4 or 5 more minutes on the spell

Who has the items found in the crates back in the warehouse? I believe Marik does but want to make sure as y'all haven't had them identified ... yet

[Private to Raszire Toumash: You do notice Marik's bag radiating a lot of magic ... Conjuration, Divination, Evocation, Transmutation magic

Filimena's bag has some Divination and  Evocation magics ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:45, Mon 03 Feb 2020.

Filimena grimaces, looking about her once again. “Well whatever is creating that illusion, if it meant us harm, it would surely have done something by now,” she says, tentatively. ”I think we should head down. There ought to be some secrets there.”

OOC: FIlimena has a clay tablet with some unknown writing on it. Marik has a bracer I think.

Stepping into the taproom, Disanz looks about with a satisfied nod as though he was right about something. He looks to the group, "Seems a nice enough place, right? I mean needs work obviously but could definitely be a nice place to call home. You lot could hire some help to run the tavern here and probably make decent coin doing so."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:36, Wed 27 Jan 2021.

Marik look puzzled by this discussion of gaining coins and hiring people...it's a langage he knows nothing about. It does seem like a nice place, and as raised by the others, there seems to be something wierd going on here.

"Want continue...your...research while there?" Marik ask Disanz. "Good moment to....verify rumors"


Marik almost makes violence to himself not to cast a spell to detect magic himself, to verify Raszire assertion, but decide to trust the dragonborn. If's it's really illusions and somebody is hiding something, might be best to save his strenght and the spirits favors for later.


As he pick up a glass that rani gives him, his eyes look behind the bar. There seems to be something... a trapdoor maybe?

He instruct Rani to go around the bar and gather things behind the bar in order to inspect if further. He's also curious to see if the "barkeeper" will react to the big cat approaching closer.


OOC: do I need to roll anything to do this?

As he continues to scan the room, Raszire notices that both Filimena and Marik's packs are radiating with magical energy as well.

He turns to address the group, subtly clearing his throat to get everyone's attention, and says, "Fil, Marik... How closely have you two examined the articles in your packs? You're both glowing with magical energy right now. I'm sensing some sort of Divination and Evocation around you both, but Marik I'm also sensing Transmutation and Conjuration magic from your pack."

He, again, continues to scan the space as though he's looking beyond the walls of the current room.

OOC: So Detect Magic states "The spell can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt." I'm assuming that most of the interior walls/floors are pretty flimsy. Can I see any magic in any adjacent spaces?

Marik raise the head, thinks for a half second, and start to get out items from his bag, getting out in the yelllowish gem, the carving of a cat, the bracers of Vellardin, the bundle of canvas, the paper doll, the bracers of tavern.



He holds the bracers of tavern and the paper doll.

"These two...you mean?" he begins, "yes...Had them....identified...temple..and...harmless"

Raszire see no other magic auras in the building.

[Private to Raszire Toumash: Marik's items give off the following auras

• yelllowish gem - conjuration
• carving of a cat- divination
• bracers of Vellardin - evocation
• bundle of canvas - nothing
• paper doll - abjuration
• bracers of tavern - divination

]

Rani brings back some legs from broken stools. The phantom bartender does nothing.

Up to that point Filimena had more or less forgotten the clay tablets in her backpack. Removing them now, she stares for a moment once again at the strange script. What was it the Voices had said? Seeker. The sister will find the brother. She glances up at the dragonborn, genuinely bewildered. "Divination and evocation?" she echoes. "What could that mean?"

"Could be multiple items or how a single item function... without seeing whatever items you have it is difficult to tell," Disanz offers as an explanation.

"I can cast a ritual to tell you what the various items do, but it takes a bit of time."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:36, Wed 27 Jan 2021.

Rasz shrugs and responds with, "Time seems to be one of the things we have in abundance right now, your assistance would be greatly appreciated."

Seeing the "bartender" doesn't seem to respond, Marik nudge Rani to approach more and open the trapdoor.


OOC: Does Raz see anything glowing among the objects that Marik hold? 

OOC: Alright ... How exactly is a big cat going to open trapdoor?

OOC: If possible, take the latch (don't know if that's the right word for the metal ring you pull to open these things) in her mouth and pull?

If Filimena sees Rani struggling with the trap door she can help out herself or with Mage Hand. I'm writing this OOC because I think at this point she probably would not have noticed yet, but I think she would before long if Rani takes a while.

It takes Rani a few attempts but finally she manages to get her teeth around the ring and pull open the door.

With the door open a draft of cool air escapes into the taproom as a set of stair leading down into darkness below is revealed.

Rasz leans over the bar to peer into the newly opened chamber and says "Hmmm, another stairwell into the dark unknown. Alright, who's going first?!" with a smirk...


OOC: Looks like Divination and Evocation, Transmutation and Conjuration magic from your pack.

Marik get out a torch from a bag and lights it, before dismounting

"Take a few steps fown, Rani, I'll join you"

The big cat peek her head in the hole, before squeezing her large body to descend in the stairs. Mariks see her sniff the air, look around in the darkness.


OOC: Rani rolls a general perception check, sniffing the air, to evaluate possible immediate dangers. She rolls a 24

Following her, the elf drag himself on the floor and  carefully put his wooden legs on the stairs. He passe his torch to Raz for a moment, and lower himself in the stairs, holding on the trapddor edges with his arms. When he feels low and secure enough, he ask for the torch and sits on the stairs, taking also a look around. It is very dark.

OOC: Marik rolls 9 to take a look around himself.


OOC: For Raz. Yeah, I imagine as a player some items, like the bracers and the car carving could be magical, but Marik doesn't know. I was hoping Raz could point him some items which he got a reading on while he had them in his hands. Too late now, but maybe there will be others opportunities.

The pair find themselves in a large open space, roughly fifteen foot square, with two exits, on to the west which seems to lead to an another space and one to the east which looks like a tunnel.

Overall larger space has old dusty casks on the floor and various bottles on racks... Marik is pretty sure he's found the ale cellar. The western room has empty racks which appears to have once held wine.

Basement / Cellar MAP!

This message was last edited by the GM at 19:15, Fri 22 May 2020.

Filimena descends the stairs and squeezes her way past Marik and Rani into the cellar, sniffing around in the darkness. “I’m sure there’s something down here,” she says, looking back up to Raszire with the torch.

OOC: Filimena - Perception check with advantage please

OOC: Ho hum... that’s a 14

09:03, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 6,14 using 1d20+3,1d20+3, rerolling ones with rolls of 3,11.  Perception!

"dark oak barrels...good" mutters Marik as he ask Rani to get closer to the dusty casks. He passes a gloved hand the wood, trying to ascertain the age of the wood. He has no idea, but looks like he does and nod approvingly. He does miss brewing beer. He thinks he was getting the hang of it before he left. His latest were getting quite good, especially the one with datura flowers and rosemary, as well as those he brewed with tea. He really enjoy the mixing of tea, malt and hops.

Maybe....maybe he could do some in those casks, once they cleaned them, maybe Raz and Filimena would like them...he's curious to know. He would be eager to see how they taste for others...


OOC: Marik gets a bit lost in thought while Filimena seems to looks intently at the surroundings.


OOC: Marik rolls a 6 for Nature? to try to ascertain the age of the wood.

The cellar is cool, as one might expect with no lighting save for the torch the group brought with them. As Marik inspects the casks he finds a marking on the top of one which looks to be a pair of rough triangles with a gap between them

something like this /| |\

history check

[Private to Filimena the Gentle: Something about the Eastern passage gives you a shiver.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:14, Thu 05 Mar 2020.

Raszire finally descends the small staircase with the others into the cellar. The dank smell is vaguely reminiscent to that of the sewer tunnels the party were in not that long ago, and it brings up foul memories of that experience.

Rasz sweeps from side to side with the torch, trying to gather whatever information he can for the cellar. Everything looks unfamiliar to him...

OOC: Lovely...
15:35, Today: Raszire Toumash rolled 5 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 2.  Perception.
15:37, Today: Raszire Toumash rolled 20 using 1d20 with rolls of 20.  History. (Of Course, wasn't sure if I needed to make the History check too, but I did...)

Marik, sorry, guess I didn't understand your question last time. Sorry I wasn't able to provide any specifics.

Raszire looks over Marik's shoulder...

[Private to Raszire Toumash: You are reminded of splitting mountains, or a mountain path... which leads you to recall the standard of now gone Kalazanbaar

see - http://www.danconnolly.co.uk/2016/06/the-spinelands/]

Filimena raises an eyebrow at the pair examining the casks. Something catches her attention, though. Hesitantly, she begins to approach the passage on the eastern side of the room, pausing between each step, as if she half expects something to jump out of the passage towards her at any moment.

"Marik,..." Raszire begins as he slowly traces the marking on the top of the cask with his finger, "...does this symbol remind you of that of the ancient dwarven kingdom of Kalazanbaar? If I recall correctly, this symbol represents the legend in which the dwarf, Durok, slayed Titan Raxis, while splitting the mountain in two with his mighty battle axe. I'm curious as to what this development means for us."

Raszire becomes lost in thought recalling the tales of the lost dwarven kingdom and fails to notice the warlock slipping away behind Marik and himself...

"Hum?" respond Marik, himself a bit lost in thought. "Kalazanbaar...you say?...hum...yes...could be...could also be indicate letter...like M...for "Malt?" or "Maceration?"...."Oh Filimena...something there?" he says, as he turns to see her looking intently at something.



OOC: Marik rolled 8 for a History check. Since I assume Raz 20 was a success, I checked to see how close Marik could get to that...

Marik recalls the dwarven kingdom not terribly far from his own homeland ... though brew from there hasn't been seen in a least a half-dozen human generations (~120 years)

[Private to Filimena the Gentle: No jumps, no creatures ... just a roughly cut stone wall. As you stand before the unfinished construction you notice a series of poorly runes very reminiscent of some you saw in Jzadirune and Keygan Ghelve's shop. ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:28, Fri 15 Sept 2023.

Intrigued, Marik take a closer look at the cask and try nudging one, just to see if there is still liquid in it.

Filimena glances briefly back at the elf, but quickly returns her gaze to the runes, honestly shocked to see them here. She reaches out towards one with a Mage Hand, but stops short of touching it. "A secret hidden below," she says, more to herself than to either Marik or Raszire.

OOC: 09:35, Today: Raszire Toumash rolled 10 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 7.  Perception.
I wanted to roll to see if Raszire picked up on what Filimena mumbled to herself while he and Marik were examining the ale cask.

The cask does have heft to it and gives a satisfying slosh as Marik pushes it. Both Marik and Raszire, who doesn't hear Filimena's musing, hears the liquid inside move.


[Private to Filimena the Gentle: As you scan the runes and the space you see a dust and rubble covered belt pouch.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:54, Tue 10 Mar 2020.

Her eyes scanning the rune-covered wall, Filimena spots what to her seems like a belt pouch, covered in dust and rubble. Instinctively, she reaches out to it with Mage Hand, hesitates, and begins to brush the dust and rubble off the object. “Guys, I think I’ve found something,” she says, a bit more loudly this time.

OOC: Filimena keeps a distance of maybe 10ft between herself and either the pouch of the wall, if the space allows for that. Just to be on the safe side. If nothing explodes in the pouch. If there is no kind of trap set off, Filimena will bring the pouch towards herself and put it down on the ground in front of her with Mage Hand and begin gingerly examining it and its contents.

Upon hearing Fil's call of discovery, Rasz turns to see her focus on an unknown item. Cautious as he is, he reaches into his pouch for a small piece of parchment, touches it to his brow, and mumbles "Protection through your benevolence..." and casts Shield of Faith on Fil.

He helps to steady the cask before advancing near to where Fil is to see what it is that she has found, again, cautiously keeping his distance until more is known about the object.

OOC: A shimmering field appears around Fil, granting her a +2 bonus to AC for 10 minutes.

The pouch doesn't explode nor does anything else. Moving it through the air makes it easy to notice it is not empty, a bit of a clink as though metal hitting metal occurs as it is picked up.

Inside Filimena finds a pair of coins, particularly old coins. One coin has what appears to be a mountain broken down the middle - similar to the nearby barrel - and a pair of crossed hammers on the reverse. The second coin has three swords on one face - two pointing down and one pointing up - and on the back is a oak tree.

OOC roll History checks as you desire

[Private to GM: Coin 1 - Kalazanbaar
Coin 2 - The Second (Dead) Kingdom - capital Holgast - Argel]

OOC: 15:02, Today: Raszire Toumash rolled 3 using 1d20 with rolls of 3.  History.
This is more like what I expected for my first history check earlier...

In reply to Raszire Toumash (msg # 57):

You recognize the front of the first coin but that is all...

"This..this isn't possib..." mutter Marik, before being cut off by the voice of Filimena announcing she found somehting. The elf turn and watch as she picks the sack, bring it closer and gets out some coins. He recognize the first one, especially now that the symbol is clearly engraved in the coin.

"Should....Should Disanz... see this? This...this...isn't possible..."

But then he remembers that bracers from Vellardin also somehow managed to make their way here.


"Someone...something....collecting..."

His eyes widen, as he begins to look frantically around. Rani tense and looks at him, wondering what's happening.


"Is that... everything?" he ask Filimena, as he signal Rani to move to get a better look at the tunnel too.


OOC: Oh man! This is getting better and better! I'm excited :D

OOC: Marik rolls a 4 for History. I guess being a hermit and not caring generally much about money will do that to you .
This message was last edited by the player at 02:36, Thu 12 Mar 2020.

OOC: Non-natty 20. That's a bit more like it. Let's see what the check tells us before I decide what Filimena does.

22:57, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 20 using 1d20+3, rerolling ones ((17)).

Also I just realise I've been playing Filimena on 10/43HP this entire time. I'm pretty sure we had a long rest somewhere back there right? Haha

Filimena recognizes the coins and their markings. The first is from Kalazanbaar before the civil war with the front showing the split mountain, which as Raszire said before is representative of Durok when he killed the Titan Raxis, and the reverse is the symbol of the Korim.

The second coin is a bit of an annomily as it has not been in circulation since before the fall of Kalazanbaar, yet Filimena has seen on similar. The three swords were the symbol of the Kingdom of Argel, one of the three Southern Sanction kingdoms to fall to the Archlich Kaleth-Varr.

Yes y'all should be at full HP

Filimena whistles and raises the coins to the air, with Mage Hand still. ”What do we make of these?” she asks, barely glancing back towards the elf and the dragonborn before stepping forward towards the runes on the wall. ”These are like the ones we saw down in Jzadirune, and Ghelve’s Locks.” She peeks around, convinced there must be some kind of entrance to a hidden passage.

OOC:

Sigh... I wrote a really nice reply, but lost it when my browser crashed.

Does it make sense to do a Perception check now to look for a hidden entrance, or is this covered by the last one I did? Anyway, I rolled an 11, which is not great.

OOC: Filimena - please give me an arcana check with advantage
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:52, Tue 17 Mar 2020.

OOC: That's a 15

20:57, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 15,5 using d20+3,d20+3, rerolling ones with rolls of 12,2.  Int with adv.

Ooof! Totally missed this message! I've been checking RPOL regularly since Wednesday waiting for the post count to turn red and bold, and it hasn't. It must have done, and I must have accidentally clicked in and out again without noticing.

Marik sees the runes that Filimena spoke of, they're rough but definitely similar to those the group has seen previously.

Filimena recalls needing a key to operate any runic door or portal.



OOC: No worries, happens from time to time.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:22, Fri 20 Mar 2020.

"There needs to be some kind of key," Filimena says, examining the runes. "Disanz, do you know anything about this? Might you have a seen a key of any kind around?"

OOC: Incidentally, do the runes look anything like the ones on the clay tablet Filimena has? I don't think it would occur to Filimena that the tablet might have anything to do with the runes on this wall, but if they're actually similar she might recall them.

No these runes are the same as the tablet - these look more dwarvish and the tablet is something stranger.

Here are the type of runes on the wall

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:46, Tue 12 Jan 2021.

"Just....Who did... you buy to?" ask Marik to Disanz, more and more intrigued about who might have passed her before.

OOC: Small post I know. Working day and night these days, but I think it should calm and allow me to post more often.

Filimena frowns, glaring at the runes, trying to recall the runes of Jzadirune.

OOC: Back in Jzadirune we figured out the runes for each of the letters J, Z, A, D, etc. Can Filimena recall any of these runes, and determine if any appear here?

For what it's worth, I rolled a 19 on straight intelligence.

22:58, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 19 using 1d20, rerolling ones with rolls of 19.  Intelligence.

Filimena takes some times and looks over the runes .. there are only five of them. She sorts out the following

? ? R I ?

[Private to GM: KORIM]


This message was last edited by the GM at 17:46, Tue 12 Jan 2021.

Filimena ponders the runes for a moment. "We should head upstairs," she says after a while. "We might find a key there. See where this takes us." She gestures at the runes on the wall.

Rasz nods in agreement. "I agree. Besides, I'm sure that there is much more that we have to learn about this manor. I'll follow you all up."

Marik pass a moment in silence to study the runes, before nodding.

"Yes...upstairs..."


Marik guide Rani back to the ladder and disembark. The cat leap through the trapdoor first, and the elf follow behind.

The group ascends the stairs back to the tap room to find it in much better condition than when they left - all the remaining dishes are cleaned, the few tables that were not ruined are right side up and have a chair or two slid under them, windows have been washed and blinds opened... not exactly prefect but definitely more presentable.



This message was last edited by the GM at 17:47, Tue 12 Jan 2021.

Filimena begins looking for a way up, but glances back at Disanz. "We've encountered such... stone work before. How did you come by this house, by the way. You said you bought it? From whom?"

OOC: I'm slightly confused by the map. All the stairs seem to be heading down?

Marik eyes widen as he reach the top and see the new condition of the tap room.

"Can...illusions...do that?" he thinks for himself. Rani and him did some work but he certainly don't remember washing the windows and doing all the dishes. Did Disanz do that?

He's about to ask the dwarf the question but sees Filimena talking to him. He decide to go take a quick look in the pantry and the kitchen.

OOC: Marik rolled a 16 for Perception in case that was necessary.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:37, Thu 02 Apr 2020.

Disanz looks confounded at Filimena but nods, "As I said I purchased it from the City. The place had been abandoned for sometime and had rumors of being haunted. The previous owner ... a fellow named Lif Silverlake I believe ... lost whatever claim he had here due to owing the city over a year of back payments."

OOC: The stairs in the NE corner lead UP to the second floor but can only be accessed from outside

In the the pantry and the kitchen Marik finds little of note as it would appear that whatever food or drink that might have survived has long since been taken.

Marik returns...

"I...I'll see...if I can...reach second floor...with Rani" he says. "Disanz...did you clean the windows?...Or did they?" he ask, nodding toward the "bartender".
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:37, Fri 03 Apr 2020.

OOC: This seems unlikely, but in the time that Filimena has spent in Titans Gate, might she have heard anything about a Lif Silverlake? She would have a spent a lot of time alone in taverns and such, so there is a chance she might just have happened to overhear something, assuming it's a big enough story.

Rolled an 18 on history:

12:20, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 18 using 1d20+3 ((15)).

"Certainly wasn't me. I don't do windows." Disanz says with a bit of a grin

OOC: Filimena recalls hearing talk around The Scoundrel and Dirk about a tavern keeper  named Lif who went missing a few years back, no one knows where he went or why just he'd left his tavern and never returned.

Filimena follows behind Marik, walking towards the door to get to the stairs on the outside of the building. Before leaving, however, a thought occurs to her. She hesitates for just a moment, feeling foolish. “Lif?” she says, turning back and looking back into the room and the bar.

Raszire, following Filimena outside in order to access the second floor, notices her hesitation.

"Is everything alright, Filimena? You seem distracted." he says.

Filimena turns to the dragonborn. "Disanz said this place used to belong to somebody named Lif Silverlake. It's just, I swear I've heard of a tavern keeper named Lif who went missing a few years back, and... I know you said before this all seems an illusion to you, but..." She pauses, scanning the room once more for movement. "Lif? Is that you?"

A rag sitting on the bar lifts in the the air and waves at Filimena. All can make out the outline of finger tips under the rag.

Filimena glances back at Raszire, as if to ask, Did you see what I just saw? She looks back at the bar and gulps. “Nice place you have here. We uh... we just moved in! Pleased to uh... make you acquaintance. But uh... we were wondering about downstairs?” Filimena feels sheepish. She should not be this nervous. Half of the time there are actual voices representing a long-dead civilisation shouting riddles into her head.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:16, Sat 11 Apr 2020.

Marik looks at Filimena, then at "Lif", then at Filimena back again, increasingly confused. Is that a ghost or a illusion, or someone playing the part of a ghost as a illusion...? Raszire told him it was a illusion and he trust the dragonborn to say the truth, but he can't help but feel there is a real spirit here. Maybe a spirit using illusion magic to manifest itself? Is that even possible? Better to not take any chances and treat it with respect.

"Oh...also...I good with...repairs...carpentry, I think is the word...I can help with the stairs outside. Allow me...take a look." he says, while bowing the head a bit and signal Rani to slowly back out toward the doorway as he waits to see the reaction.



OOC: Sorry for the delay!

Filimena nods as the elf heads outside. Then, deciding she ought to be a bit more specific in her question to Lif, she turns back to the bar and asks, “Did you know about the portal downstairs? Where does it lead?”

The rag waves back and forth, as though trying to signal a negative response.

[Private to Filimena the Gentle:
_Up the ^stairs
_Find the ghost
Undo the haunting
_Tread ^careful
Seek the fiend
Save _yourself]

As he get closer to the door Marik can feel the wet before seeing it, the light clouds  started releasing a slight mist of rain at some point while the group was downstairs.

Raszire is extremely curious as to how Filimena seems to be communicating with the specter. Bewildered, he can't fight the urge to follow Marik to the upper floor, but he's nervous to leave Fil alone with a ghost and Disanz.

"Fil, I'm going to aide Marik in clearing the upper floor. Be safe and cautious, and please call for us should you need any assistance." he says.

With that, he follows Marik out the main entrance, nervously looking back over his shoulder along the way.

Filimena shudders violently, feeling for a moment like the Voices are whispering right in her ear, their breath tickling the back of her neck. She tears herself away from the bar and follows briskly after Raszire, trying to catch sight of Marik. "Careful. I think there's something upstairs. A fiend maybe."

"A...fiend?" respond the elf, now much more worried. "I'll go check" Seeing the ghost doesn't seem to object, he signal Rani to go further outside. He feels the humidity and take a deep breath. He loves the fresh, wet scent of a new rain, even if if won't be long before the odors of the city mix in.

Once outside, he makes Rani walk about thirty feet, in order to have a good view of the bulding front, the turret and the balconies. Without stairs, he'll have to find another way to get to the second balcony. He weight his options. He takes a moment to evaluate the height, then the state of the wood planks. It's old but it should hold.

"Seems like it's time to go back to old habits", he thinks. He secure the bags on the saddle, making sure they are well closed and attached, and then mutter something in Rani's ears, pointing the turret and then the balcony. The panther crouch, digging her claws in the damp earth.

And then bolts forward.

[Language unknown: "Po ng , strar. Hest us fi trall."]

After getting some speed, the large cat leaps on the turret like a giant tree, grasping the wooden ledge of a barricaded window before launching herself a second time toward the balcony of the second floor. Filimena and Raz hears a audible THUD as the large cat land on the old wooden planks above them.

Marik hold his breath.


OOC: Rani rolled 21 for a Acrobatics roll.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:41, Fri 17 Apr 2020.

There are two doors leading off the balcony, and all the windows are boarded up.

2nd floor MAP

This message was last edited by the GM at 19:15, Fri 22 May 2020.

Satisfied, Marik glance back at Filimena and Raszire on the ground below.

"Wait...I have something...help climb"

 He undo his bags and gets out a long rope with a grappling hook. He attach the head solidly on one on the columns and proceed to begin to make a serie of large knots to facilitate climbing.


At that moment, Disanz get out of the mansion and look up.


"Um....Master Elf? You do know there are others stairs in the North-east corner of the mansion leading to the second floor, right? You didn't need to do that...and you most certainly don't need these (he points the grappling hook) "


"Other...stairs?" respond a flustered Marik. "Oh...not used..to...so many...we don't need them...back home" . "Filimena, Raszire...I go check and meet you near other stairs.

After untying the hook, Marik and Rani then makes their way toward the door going toward the Den, try to see if it's unlocked.

OOC: I took the liberty of having Disanz repeat the information in the OOC channel
This message was last edited by the player at 02:01, Tue 21 Apr 2020.

Filimena shakes her head, halfway between amusement and surprise. "Right. Hold on while I walk." She points towards the stairs and begins shuffling towards it.

Making her way to the second floor, she stops before the entrance to examine the door.

OOC: Better safe then sorry. Check for traps?

21:37, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 16 using 1d20+3+d4, rerolling ones with rolls of 10,3.  Perception, with Guidance.

I forgot I had Guidance!

Filimina finds no traps just a locked door at the top of the stair.

Meanwhile Marik and Rani move through a den filled with what was once nice furniture but has been turned into little more than debris and various refuse that vagrants have left behind. The common room beyond is in a similar sad state. A door to the left seems to be the obvious exit, while a door across from the den seems to leads to another room.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:40, Wed 22 Apr 2020.

Marik will test the door to see if it can be unlocked from the inside. Otherwise, I would dislike to make a quick perception check to see if I can locate a key somewhere.


OOC: Marik roll 14 for a Perception check if necessary.

The door is locked, Marik snoops around and finds a key ring in a mug on the mantle.

Marik will take up the key ring and unlock the door for the others, hopefully opening it just as Filimena will try the door :D

OOC: Ooo... I was going to reply, but let's see what happens. Haha.

Edit: Or is this cue for me to just assume we open the door at the same time. =P
This message was last edited by the player at 12:06, Thu 23 Apr 2020.

Filimena eyes the door knob suspiciously, narrowing her eyes and inspecting it from a few angles. Satisfied that there are no traps on it, or on the rest of the door, she brushes off her hands on her tunic, and reaches out to open it. Just as she grasps the knob, however, and she hears a click, and immediately recoils, convinced she's about to explode.

As he opens the door, there is a sudden flash of movement that takes the elf and the cat by surprise. Already on the guard for spirits, they both recoil by instinct.

"AHHH!"

"WAWAHRRRR'! (BANGBALANGCRASHHH)


Marik see a startled Filimena, hands raised like she was about to protect herself. In return, like a mirror image, the halfling find the elf in a similar stance, eyes wide, atop a puffy and growling Rani standing in all manners of broken furniture (some more recently than others). A few awkward seconds pass before both regain their composure.


"Oh...Ahem....After you...." finally says the elf with ceremony, bowing very low and inviting her to enter with a large wave of the hand. Crouched like this, he hopes she won't notice the red on his face.

Filimena peeks out from between her fingers. She blinks, noting with some surprised that she is in fact, not currently engulfed in flame. Lowering her arms, she brushes her hands once again against her tunic, looks back to see if Raszire might have noticed, coughs once, and slides into the room, avoiding eye contact with Rani.

After Filimena and Raz enters, Marik manage to regain some of his composure. Better to focus his energies elsewhere to forget that shameful display. He guide Rani toward the door to the Hall in front of him, searching for a key to unlock if it appears locked.

Filimena casts her gaze around her, not quite sure what to look for. The Voices had mentioned eyes looking inwards, but she had no idea if that had anything to do with the fiends.

Which way did you come in? she asks Marik, telepathically.

OOC: Filimena looks around for any sign of recent activity. Footprints, perhaps, accounting for any Marik and Rani would have left.

20:01, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 21 using 1d20+3+d4, rerolling ones with rolls of 15,3.  Perception, with Guidance.

Also, are there any paintings about, by any chance? Portraits?

Marik twitches in suprise, making Rani tense up, and look around. Then he stops, looks at Filimena, take a deep breath and calm down.

He did somewhat get used to hear Filimena's voice in his mind back in Jzadirune, despite how unnerving it was the first times. Maybe because they were under pressure and faced with constant danger. Here...in the quiet...it's even more unsettling than it was before...

"Don't..." he begins, before taking another breath and shaking the head "Nevermind...but maybe...knock...if you can..." he says, knocking gently on the wall. Then, not knowing how to articule this properly, he switches to Elvish. [Language unknown: "Mote...ourbutres ouchrehi t aiof e lota'hamaic hiomal ce rat ie nc eriou ofhipait ssenic witestmen i dayithnti il italfi. Os p alnaence, ers t virnteday...k ei paoer al en ce vir utetmo, us on K foad iosan le e...o ver u wasli hite nena as. Ncday k iclifi korsetlar intout ro n mi m evarnc. Mewibe th illwheest en strerashe mawhca-ssmi nte dialai ugh allhatble outat nerime omur hocala."]

Having witnessed the comedic interaction between Fil and Marik, Rasz softly chuckles under his breath, then audibly clears his throat as to mask his laughter.

"Well, that certainly was fun," he nods, "shall we further explore this floor? And Fil, did I hear you mention something about a FIEND before?! We must be ever vigilant then!"

Rasz enters cautiously behind Filimena.

OOC: Sorry for the delay, been dealing with some things...

OOC: Raz! Nice to see you back!


Marik nods, as he's testing keys from the key ring to unlock the door " Yes...going to see here...(the door going from the Common room to the hall)...Come with..." . Then he turn back to Filimena, following Raz question. "And yes....what was that?...fiend? What... make you think there's fiend?"

Filimena blushes. She hadn't meant to frighten Marik. She should be careful how she uses her gifts. Almost immediately, though, she catches herself, and her feelings harden. She frowns slightly. It's not as if this was the first time. I was trying to be quiet, she thinks, keeping her thoughts to herself this time. She shrugs.

"My patron warns me of a fiend. They could mean a literal fiend, or not. I say we take care in any case," she whispers, to both Marik and Raszire.

OOC: Filimena will begin to follow behind Marik and Raszire, but what exactly she does also depends on the outcome of my earlier roll, and whether there are indeed any portraits on the walls in this room.

Marik continues to search for the right key, as he respond to Filimena. He's thinking of something, but struggle to put it into words.

"Right...Hum...Filimena...Don't take this...wrong way, but...Can the Voices....no....Let...start again...How...accurate...are Voices when talking...usually? I mean....considering what...they are...WE (he points to Razsire and him) could...look fiends...to them...no? They been...hum...isolated...long time and...What I mean is...Are they sometime wrong...when talking...describing...things?"

Filimena ponders this a moment. It's a good question. "I have never known the Voices to tell an outright lie. But they often speak... cryptically. [Language unknown: Ul t sheastnce er le pececk.] The Voices said" - and here she pauses to recall the words exactly - "'Up the stairs, Find the ghost, Undo the haunting, Tread careful, Seek the fiend, Save yourself'. I had assumed the ghost referred to the one downstairs, but perhaps there is one up here too. And we are to seek a fiend, but does this refer to a literal fiend we are to be wary of, or something resembling a fiend, which will be a clue to what we are looking for?"

"Sometimes, I fail to understand them at all, and then there's no way to tell if they speak the truth or if they lie. Algabassadur is not one being, but millions speaking as one, liars and truth-tellers co-mingled, con-fused, as it were." She frowns, thoughtfully.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:09, Sat 02 May 2020.

"So...yes...best to see...ourselves. It's a good thing you share these words...with us." Marik respond, who then goes thinking "I don't know about the Voices...but wondering...what you, Razsire and you..would describe ghosts? Not familiar with word...it's exact meaning in Common. Are they Quenya...hum spirits to you? And what means haunting? How "undo a haunting"?

OOC: Yes, I'm going somewhere with this..I swear :)
This message was last edited by the player at 01:11, Tue 05 May 2020.

The groups notice their weight causing the floorboards to shift slightly and a small soot smudged doll near the group falls from where was sitting on a pile of furniture.

"Who's been a wicked child?" it asks in a motherly tone as it tumbles over the rubbish and striking the floor with a thud.

Silence follows the interruption, as Marik stop talking. "Who's...been...a wicked child?" he ask the doll, returning the question and eyeing it with caution. Wary of a possible fiend... he talks while making a few gestures with the hand, as if he was drawing something in the air. Quietly, he mutters a few words in a old langage forgotten by most...a prayer to a ageless beast from beyond... as his eyes go white.

OOC: Marik cast Detect Magic.

[Language unknown: "Anac-inis, Pa noder ngear o omthu prbeme, ateeveeve ne kor lawi untic no ndartr." ]
This message was last edited by the player at 02:27, Wed 06 May 2020.

Filimena frowns at Marik's question. How would she 'describe' ghosts?

"Well, ghosts are... spirits, yes," she says after a moment's thought. "The spirits of mortals who have died, but which for some reason remain in the material plane, held back for some reason. They would, I suppose, infest a living being, or an object? To be honest I'm not entirely sure how the whole thing works myself." She glances over at Raszire, shrugging, as if to say, did I get that right?

Following behind Marik, she freezes at the sound of an object falling. On impulse, she lifts her left arm towards the source of the sound, preparing to blast it if necessary. Seeing that it is a doll, however, she pauses, curious. Noticing that Marik has begun uttering some incantations, she assumes he must be attempting to discern something about the doll magically, so she turns her attention instead to their surroundings, listening for any indication that something might have been disturbed or awakened by the disturbance.

OOC: That's a 9 on perception. Not great. =/

20:38, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 9 using 1d20+3+d4, rerolling ones with rolls of 3,3.  Perception, with Guidance.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:41, Thu 07 May 2020.

The world comes rather muted as Marik's spell take hold of his senses. He spies shades of magic in both Filimena and Raszire's bags and on some of their equipment.

There is a lingering smell of rot in the air that Marik hasn't noticed prior to his spell. Looking over the fallen doll Mark sees shades of transmutation magic covering it.

"oh no..." thinks the elf, whose mind begin to race. He takes a look around, using his new senses to see if there are other magical influences around and starts speaking in Elvish to Rani.

[Language unknown: "Dayla...p ulti icivpl un...pe, neinse intsi, enc erareaour po asetac...is thuwi ineerarom nd cawend ulai homion ntene?" ]


The large panther begins sniffing the air and looking around


He continues to speak in Elvish, to Filimena's attention this time.

[Language unknown: "Eenkorvenven, esseul tabe evmihopa atmahine, u ti ingar unar ithnceati k dinaveall ver ilouek roicwe herromlar, waai omadho ta menoerich ounwileeneenbut? Ro outres k Poadai, aiec noncen on tedei foatai ck "Wealbe Seesiv". Ce etiece lar ionthustr fo acelng thaal hohi korson'stifor enwil...ai acne enwipe... loceto oveionwas oveardwasurewhi. Mimama stick plchla hisersred vor ticresrutnde m Ncwill venwhiwil ho ouro weurdi e bence ersos fingus...Menhassti laurbe er osreer p tra howh... I ho ca e of witpresan, seio ecan se todi tra. Butnc... ri notie sti derantpre onmo, ersaet iere?"
]

Then, while Rani is looking around, Marik turn his attention to the doll.

"Hum...Hello...My...name...Marik....What your's?"




OOC: Marik roll a 14 in Perception to see if he missed something.
     Rani rolled a 23 in Perception (smell) to ascertain where the rotting smell comes from.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:45, Sun 10 May 2020.

"I hope I don't wake up." it says in a childish voice.

"Why...don't wake up?" ask Marik. "Sleep...good...but waking...sun on face, warmth. feels...even better...no?" pursue the elf. He's trying as best he can to be friendly, but can't help but feel his delivery could have been much better. Obviously, this child was expecting something more dreadful than the sun upon waking.

Quick! Think of something else!


"Hum...Best thing...waking...is smell. Fresh cup...flowery tea in morning...is a great...start. Would you...and your mother...want some tea?"



OOC: I don't know if it was required but I rolled for Persuasion in case. The incredibly charismatic Marik rolled a 3.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:55, Fri 08 May 2020.

Filimena shrugs. "Sorry, I don't have anything like that. The closest thing I know to that is a Counterspell."

She turns to Raszire, not quite sure why Marik suggested speaking to him telepathically when he's right there, and he's been speaking aloud to her all this time anyway. She decides to play along though. Looking at Raszire, she puts on a quizzical expression. Not sure you understood that, but do you have a Dispel Magic spell, by any chance? Or a Remove Curse? Marik seems to suspect it might come in useful right about, or soon anyway.

Out of the corner of her eye, she continues to observe the elf speaking to the doll, not quite sure what to make of it.

Raszire had begun to process everything he'd been taught about spirits and souls and afterlife while at the temple. He'd been fully prepared to pontificate on the greatness and wonder of St. Fenwyn when the doll fell.

Quickly, all of that thought faded, and he raised his shield and mace in preparation to face whatever unseen foe had just made its presence known.

As he's searching the space for the source of the voice, he hears Filimena, not through his ears, but in his mind. This catches him off-guard until he realizes what is being asked, then he fully understands the need for secrecy.

He returns a glance to Filimena and subtly shakes his head from side to side. Sadly, no. The best I can do is cast protection spells on us. With that, he stows his mace and taps Fil on the shoulder, casting Protection from Evil and Good on her.

He then turns his attention to Marik. Not wanting to break his concentration for whatever incantation he's working on, Rasz waits for the perfect moment to cast the protection spell on him as well...

The doll remains quiet despite Marik's questioning.

[Private to Filimena the Gentle: As Raszire's spell takes hold, the voices in your head from your patron grow quieter. They're often distant but now they seem little more than the whisper of crickets. You hear a gentle motherly voice says, "There there now, be calm for a moment." ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:44, Tue 12 May 2020.

"Right..."says Marik after a time. "We'll...leave you..be....We here help...so feel free...to ask if needed..."

The elf  stands back on Rani and tell her a few words.

[Language unknown:
"Sier, se urio ou us tindat usnce fo oundun ureha?" ]

The large panther gives a low growl and begin to walk in the direction where she smelled the odor of rot (I  will assume she found it with a Perception check of 23). As he pass near Filimena and Razsire, Marik pursue his train of thought from earlier, as if he didn't skip a beat.

"They are Quenya...hosts... wardens... guardians...and then, there are those called...Uskeche...ghosts...you would call them I think...Spirits...sick...troubled....Very common after tragedy...like war, fire...like Tal'Onarafel. As guests and travelers upon lands...it is tradition...No...our duty... to help them...as best we can...tend to them as we tend to living that need healing...So that they become Quenya again...If hosts need help...as guests, we should help..."


OOC: Should the odor comes from behind the door giving on the hall, Marik will once again try to open the doors with the keys.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:04, Wed 13 May 2020.

OOC: Marik gets the odor due to the detect magic spell, Rani sadly doesn't smell it.

OOC: Ah right! Sorry, didn't catch that. In that case, can Marik try to find the source of the odor and unlock the door to the hall if needed be? Marik rolled a 7 for Perception in case that is relevant. (or maybe it would be survival to track something?)

The southern door opens for Marik without issue to reveal a large hallway with a rough looking set of stairs leading upward to the West, and a door to the South. There is a small toppled over end table with a broken vase and dead flowers on the floor to the East near the window. There are some paintings hanging on the walls, but they are long faded and worn away.

A momentary flash of necrotic energy fills Marik's vision...


OOC: Need a DC 13 Charisma saving throw Marik!

[Private to GM: GHOST!
for reference https://www.reddit.com/r/Water...ng_trollskull_manor/]

OOC: Charisma?...Oh dear...This is gonna go great...


OOC: Whaaaa...NAT 20! ...Which makes a 19!

To Filimena, it is as if the world around her has vanished. She does not notice Raszire finishing his spell, barely senses Marik's words as he passes her.

What? She thinks. Who is this? What's happening Notwithstanding this new voice's instruction, she feels fear welling up inside her.

Marik is able to shrug off the advances of the unknown from overtaking his mind, but he does get flashes of various children talking to an elderly woman over a period of years ... strange.

[Private to Filimena the Gentle: You feel like someone hugs you just for the briefest of moments]
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:34, Wed 20 May 2020.

Filimena squirms, deeply uncomfortable. What exactly did Raszire do to her? A protection spell, he'd said. She shakes off the sensation of being hugged, and squirms again at the thought.

"Raszire," she whispers in his direction. "What was that spell you just cast on me?"

OOC: I imagine at this point she might notice something happening with Marik, which would interrupt her exchange with Raszire, but we'll see how this plays out.

OOC: Before I get further with this, can I see any other magical energies (do ghost emanate necrotic energy?) in the hall?  Did I see where that came from? What do the hall looks like? And the children of the visions, can I hear words or do I just see them talking?


Marik sense something and instinctively reach for his sword, before stopping himself.

"Please..I come...in peace......Peace...Do not mean...harm." he says, his eyes looking around to see where that came from.

No other energies in the hall

You believe it came from below you

as previously described


Just visual, no audio

Marik tries to make sense of what happened. Some unknown presence tried something on him...maybe the ghost of that old woman he briefly envisonned? Who might she be? A nurse? A mother or grandmother? Hard to tell.

Marik is tempted to go up the stairs right away, maybe face directly whatever this "fiend" is. On the other side, it might be a better idea to explore this place some more and try to get some insight of the previous owners lives and personnality. Now actively looking around for another ambush, he guides Rani toward the door to the South and tries to open it (with the keys if needed)

Marik finds himself in a ten by fifteen foot room devoid of furniture or anything of value and covered in dust.

There is a long ignored fireplace on the western wall which looks connected to another room, a window to the south faces out onto the alley behind the property, and a door to the east leading go out to a small balcony with a window beside it.

Filimena peers into the room after Marik, not daring to take a step into it. "Did... did you hear something too?" she whispers to him.

"What...have heard?" whisper back Marik. He tries to remain calm but the eeriness of the place is increasingly creeping him out too. He tought he had it under control but now he feels his nerves giving in too. He shivers. He makes his way to the fireplace, trying to inspect it to find the opening mechanism. He catch himself just staring blankly at it for a few seconds, still startled of his previous encounter. "I saw old lady...childrens...no sound"



OOC: Is there a check required? If yes, would that be Perception or Investigation?

OOC: Nevermind. Rolled a natural one so I don't think it matters much.

Filimena swallows hard. "An old lady? Something happened to me as well. A voice spoke to me. It said to be calm, and then... I felt something hugging me." She frowns, irritated.

OOC: Would the voice that Filimena heard in her head have sounded elderly, by any chance?

It did not. The voice was motherly or like a doctor with a good bedside manner.

To these words, Marik turn to face Filimena. He tries to make conversation, but mostly use the opportunity to look at her from feet to toes with his white eyes.

"Voice...vision...doesn't fit with what thought of...previous owner ...Lif Silverlake was the name yes?...Could Lif be her name? Maybe their spouse...or mother depending on Lif age...Or maybe older Quenya...watching over house...tavern... for generations..."


On first glance, Filimena doesn't appear any different. There is however a glimmer of abjuration magic shimmering like a aura around her. Marik remembers that Raszire did mutter a few words of prayer earlier, mentionning something about protecting them from evil, and touched Filimena. Could that be it? Surely that must be it. And maybe what could have prevented her from being possesed if that's what the spirit was attempting. But maybe it really was just a way for the host spirit to communicate with them and trying to be hospitable? Maybe he's reading too much into this.


He pause...

"wait...hugged you...you said...did you feel...something bounce off of you? Did it felt...like this (he wraps his arms around himself) or this (he mimes a hand that tries to pierce his skin, as if it was trying to reach for the heart, but that constantly bounce off on his leather armor)?

OOC: If Raszire casted Protection form good and evil on Filimena, I suppose Marik could see traces of divine magic on Filimena? Correct me if I'm wrong.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:34, Wed 27 May 2020.

Protection from Evil and Good is Abjuration magic actually.

OOC: Right! Thanks, I've made a small edit in the post to reflect that

"No, I doubt it was Lif's voice. I don't know who the voice belongs to, or where it comes from." Seeing that the elf had been inspecting the fireplace, Filimena walks over and crouches before it to look at it from a lower angle. "It was just a brief hug. I didn't feel anything... bounce off me."

OOC: Does Filimena see anything in the fireplace? The roll should be a 7, not a 10, because Halfling Luck would not apply to the d4 roll. So I doubt Filimena notices anything special, but perhaps something obvious?

11:24, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 10 using 1d20+3+d4, rerolling ones with rolls of 3,{1}4.  Perception, with Guidance.

Nothing of note in the fire place, just some long dead embers. Though she can see into the room on the otherside of the wall and it has a rotten bed sitting in the middle of the floor with an old ginger tomcat lying curled up on it.

"Hm..." simply says Marik, pondering what Filimena says. He takes a look a the chamber and then says something to Rani, smiling.

[Language unknown: "Lest, rodini tic est wi rut. Ceurce hi tednceear wa le hifoma setce. Riwees ieine fo ol hisne haseenenc?" ]


Rani oblige and meows/growls a "hello" to the tomcat.

OOC: Just to be sure, does Filimena see the room with her eyes or does she somehow see through the wall? I assumed it's the first and that Marik can see it, but please correct me if I'm wrong. I'll edit the post.

OOC: the fireplace open to the room beyond - like a pass thru

Filimena blinks, not quite believing her eyes. A cat? How peculiar. Still crouched, she steadies herself against the sides of the fireplace and attempts to peak through to see more of the room on the other side, pausing when she hear's Rani's meow/growl.

The tomcat ears perk up before its eyes open. It slowly gets up, stretches, and jumps down from the bed. After disappearing for a moment, the cat reappears near the fireplace - mouth slightly open in that "stinky face" that cats are want to do. A few moments pass in this manner before the cat wanders back towards the bed and jumps up to the nearby open window then slips out onto the porch beyond.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:08, Wed 03 June 2020.

"Eh...Cats..." let out Marik, with a curled smile. The elf then imitate Filimena, taking glances in the room, looking at the walls, the bed, the floor. Doesn't seem to be a lot here. Still, maybe they could find some clues about the lives of the previous owners inside. He isn't quite sure how to proceed however. It's not their home and it is known in Tal'Onarafel than some spirits can take offense when travelers take too much space. Best to ask permission first.

"Filimena, what's gesture..for...?" he start asking, before having a sudden flash of realization "Oh...wait, I know!".

He starts clapping his hands a few times...and stops mid-gesture after the third.

"Wait...that's not it... (he thinks for another few seconds) Ah, right!"

Marik then gently knock a few times on the side of the fireplace, and speak a few words in the air.

"Moien...may we enter?"

Filimena looks up in surprise at the elf. She isn't sure the cat would have understood that. Then again, she's seen stranger things.

"Maybe there's another way in?" she murmurs, glancing back up at Marik. "I'm not sure you'll fit under through this fireplace, although I probably could. In any case, it doesn't seem there's anything interesting in this room. We should back outside, or maybe go up the stairs."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:00, Wed 10 June 2020.

The fireplace and the room beyond are quiet, though outside it has started to rain heavier than the previous misting.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:09, Wed 10 June 2020.

"Yes...let's try.... upstairs." respond the elf, as he turn away and guide Rani toward the stairs. "Let's see...upstairs...see if need help.

OOC: Marik returns to the Hall and starts climbing the stairs before Filimena.



OOC: Despite my D&D urge to explore every room, I don't think Marik would start searching rooms in a manor where he feels as a guest, especially without a clear incentive to do so. Despite his curiosity, I think he would focus on the more pressing matter at hand of checking the upper floor to see what this "fiend" talk is about.

Filimena shrugs. "Ok," she says, and follows quickly behind the elf.

OOC: I guess we're going to assume Raszire is still here for now?

The stairs lead to large open foyer space with another set of stairs to the north which lead upward. There are a four obvious doors, one to the left, and two to the right and one at the end of a short hall.

Third Floor Map

Filimena frowns and walks up to the stairs leading upward and cranes her neck around the bannister, trying to catch a glimpse of what might be above.

OOC: 20:23, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 25 using 1d20+3+d4, rerolling ones with rolls of 19,3.  Perception, with Guidance.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:23, Tue 16 June 2020.

Filimena notes there seems to be some sort of landing with two doors on either side, but can't see much else without actually heading up the staircase. A massive shiver passes through Filimena starting at her feet and going up through her head.

Seconds later a form appears at the center of the open area, it is a old woman dressed in peasant clothing. She looks at the group and cries out, "This is my home! GET OUT GET OUT!" the walls and floor of the manor shake while the windows rattled!

OOC: Everyone needs to give me a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute - save is repeated at the end of your turn

[Private to GM: Horrifying Visage. Each non-undead creature within 60 feet of the ghost that can see it must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. If the save fails by 5 or more, the target also ages 1d4 × 10 years. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the frightened condition on itself on a success. If a target's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to this ghost's Horrifying Visage for the next 24 hours. The aging effect can be reversed with a greater restoration spell, but only within 24 hours of it occurring. ]

The dragonborn steels himself muttering, "St. Fenwyn protect us." as he readies his mace.

GM here posting for Raszire
14:51, Today: DM5 rolled 17 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 11.  Wisdom Save DC 13.

OOC: Marik rolled a 17 for his Wisdom saving throw.

Apparently unfazzed by the rattling sounds and the sudden apparition. Marik take a glance at Raszire.

"Raz...She's right...lower weapon. This not our home..."

He gently push on Rani's sides, and the panther stand back a few feets, understanding the message. He lowers the head slightly to try to show respect, although keeping his eyes on the ghost.

Enraged like that, she definitely sounds like a Uskeche...or a fiendish entity. But too soon to know. Trying to stay collected, Marik reminds himself there could be other options and explanations. She probably had to deal with looters and squatters a lot in the last years and is probably dead set on evicting everyone she sees.

 In any case, one does not simply attack a home spirit without good reason. He needs more time to see what they are dealing with.


" Sorry....Sorry...Do not wish to intrude...My name Marik, her Filimena and him Raszire...Just want to know...Can we help you?"

Given her attitude, it might not be a good idea, think Marik. That being said, it might be worth a gamble. How much time has it been since someone talked to her politely like a normal person? Maybe it could surprise her enough to start a conversation and defuse the situation. Or at least buy him some time to study her a bit more. He shoots a sheepish glance at Filimena that basically says "Hum...Help?..."




OOC: Marik would like to do a Insight check on her, to study her motives and possible traces of fiendish influence (crazed behavior, unnatural rage, etc).  Marik rolled a 17 for a Insight check
This message was last edited by the player at 03:49, Wed 17 June 2020.

Filimena spins abruptly around, simultaneously alarmed and pleased that finally, something definite is happening.

"Yes," she says, raising her hands in a gesture of non-aggression. "We come as friends. Tell us the source of your unrest, and shall do what we can to help you find peace."

OOC: That's a 19 on my Wisdom ST

19:34, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 18,25 using 1d20+6,1d20+6, rerolling ones with rolls of 12,19.  Wisdom ST, w/ Halfling Luck + Brave.

This message was last edited by the GM at 16:38, Wed 27 Jan 2021.

Marik stays mute. She definitely does not look well... more like a feral creature than a upset landlady... Wait, did she said "delicious" children?

It doesn't feel right.

He turns to Filimena and Raz.


"Uskeche...." he mutters, or worse...how to proceed now? Marik tries to remember what he learned of troubled and possessed spirits in his youth....it's seems like a eternity ago now. He thinks he can recall images of rituals used to commune with spirits ... and songs in the Old Tongue used to soothe troubled souls. It's seems there were sometimes incantations to call forth others sprits, Quenya or the Ageless, to help purge otherwordly influences tainting the lost souls.

OOC: As a animist, Marik would like to make a religion check to remembers details, like incantations and rituals, that could be used to commune with spirits and exorcice their woes. [Private to DM5: Is there something like a "song of healing" for spirits? ]. Marik rolled 24 if applicable.

"I feel we should search...childrens...they will be key." He say to the others, still lost in thought.

Fiimena grimaces. Find the ghost. Undo the haunting, the Algabassadur had said. Are they supposed to help this spirit? This spirit which apparently eats - or ate - children?

"I'm not sure about finding children, but certainly we should have a look around, to see what we find." She turns towards the door next to the stairs and gestures towards it, shrugging.

OOC: Filimena is motioning towards the door to the bedroom, although of course she doesn't know this yet.

Unfortunately, Marik is unaware of anything that he can do that might settle a restless spirit as those are bigger magics than he can perform. Though Fiimena or Raszire might be able to do something as they have more magical prowess than Marik does or perhaps Disa might be of some help.

Marik takes a minute to think, before looking defeated.


sigh..."this is beyond me....I don't know how...commune...calm...spirits. And you? " he ask Filimena and Raszire "You know how to....commune? rituals for this? Not destroy... connect, understand, heal, purge fiends if necessary?..."

Filimena pauses at the door and frowns. "Not particularly. Destruction is more or less all I'm good for."

Hehe.

Raszire ponders the question for a moment, his gaze shifting about the space as though waiting for the old woman to appear.

"I can speak with the recently dead but not those long passed. Perhaps we should speak to High Priest Jenya Urikas she may know a way."

Filimena raises an eyebrow. "High Priest Jenya Urikas? Is she the leader of your order?" She begins tapping her left foot unconsciously, feeling slightly impatient
This message was last edited by the player at 12:33, Mon 22 June 2020.

Raszire shakes his head, slightly confused at the question, "I follow Saint Fenwyn. My order doesn't operate much in the way of large temples, we are healers and tend to stay near the sick and poor. To my knowledge no one of my order in the city is powerful enough to do what was asked.

Marcus Bournstride and I met with high Priest Urikas after saving Priest Laro from members of the Last Laugh. She put he and I in contact with you both to help the children of the orphanage. "

Filimena narrows her eyes, thoughtfully. The name does sound familiar. She bows slightly towards the dragonborn. “My apologies. I misunderstood, or perhaps misremembered. That certainly is an option, although we don’t seem to have very much trouble speaking to spirits so far. At least, they haven’t had very much trouble speaking to us. Part of me doesn’t see the harm in poking around a bit more first, however. Gives us more to talk about when we see the high priest!” Filimena grins, slightly disingenuously. If she’s honest, she’s simply curious now, at this point, what else the party might find in the rest of the house.

"Right...." sigh Marik. "Filimena?...Can you... contact Disanz? See if still in house...and if...he could help? Could interest him for...research"



Seeing Filimina getting restless, Marik think that maybe it could be a good idea to keep moving. Without something to keep her occupied, he feels the halfling might have more trouble staying focused and keeping her mind from wandering. As he see her taping the foot, he feels she just might start blasting something out of boredom soon if they don't do something.


"Let's try this one" says Marik, as he knock, then try to open the door closest to him (the one givinf on the library).

Filimena shrugs. "I'm not sure that he's any better equipped than we are for ghosts, but sure," she says, turning to head down the stairs.

OOC: Filimena will head down to the second floor then out through the stairs heading down outside the building, to see whether Disanz might still be outside, where I believe he was last seen.

Disanz is sitting inside the common room on the first floor. He stands and waves as he sees Filimena coming down the exterior staircase.

Looking away for a moment, Filimena rolls her eyes and takes a deep breath, before feigning a cheerful smile and turning back to the dwarf. Hi! How's everything going! She says telepathically through the window. So, a strange old woman sort of just appeared out of nowhere upstairs, asking us if we could help her find some children so she can eat them. She's gone now, but I don't suppose you have any idea at all? About who she might be? Or, you know, how to manage evil spirits, just generally? She continues to smile, further putting on a pleading expression.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:05, Tue 30 June 2020.

The scholar's eyes grow large as Filimena's voice echos within his mind. "I know who she could be. The records of this place being an orphanage at one point before becoming a tavern, might be someone from that period. I have a few tomes with me that might be of some help." He dashes out of the common room and meets Filimena at the stairs with his bag in hand.

15:04, Today: Disanz Zahatharb rolled 19 using 1d20+4+1d4 with rolls of 13,2.  History.
15:03, Today: Disanz Zahatharb rolled 14 using 1d20+8+1d4 with rolls of 2,4.  Arcana.

This message was last edited by the player at 22:41, Tue 30 June 2020.

Hmmm! Filimena pauses, head tilted slightly upward, taking a moment to contemplate her own surprise, until Disanz appears at the foot of the stairs and begins climb up towards her.

"This way," she says, leading him up again to where Marik and Raszire are.

"Well guess what? This place used to be an orphanage once," she half-whispers, once she arrives at the third storey landing. "A tavern, an orphanage. Quite a history!"

Raszire nods as though this new pieces of information just fits whatever was on his mind, "yes, seems we are drawn to orphanages." The dragonborn looks at Disanz for a moment before shifting his attention to the space. "What did you see earlier, Marik when you had that flash?"

What is it with the orphanages of this city? also ponders Marik in his corner after Disanz arrival and revelation.

"Saw...childrens...many..talking with old women...over years. And saw...Uskeche...hum...ghostly figure of same woman...."

He starts describing he appeareance using his hands to model the face.

"Black hair...white streaks....blue eyes...now that think of it....heard some passerbies when passing near Lantern Street Orphanage...before Jzadirune...speaking of figure with pale face...cursing people...also something about tentacled god...wait...could Illithid have something to do with this?


Hid mind flare up with possibilities, as ties and loose threads furiously spinsin his head trying to connect. He stops himself quickly to regain focus.

...Too much unknown..Disanz...Do you know how could commune with spirit...gain insight on source of...affliction?

This message was last edited by the GM at 00:24, Fri 03 July 2020.

Filimena flinches at the mention of Illithids. The Lantern Street Orphanage. Had they been involved in that as well? She wishes Marik had mentioned this earlier - or perhaps he had, and she just hadn't thought much of it at the time.

Feeling restless, Filimena begins creeping around close to the stair landing, listening behind doors and peeking through keyholes.

OOC: Ugh. Not great. Ah well. It's what she would have done anyway.

10:50, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 11 using 1d20+3+d4, rerolling ones ((4,4)).

"I have a few books here which might be of use." Disanz says slapping the messenger bag on his hip. He glances around and finds a chair to set the heavy bag on then searches through it.

Lifting a heavy tome from the satchel he asks,"You didn't try to attack spirit did you? If it is naturally hostile that's one thing, but if you've made it hostile ... that makes things complicated."

"No...we didn't..." Marik respond " didn't draw weapon...and...didn't..try...to be hostile...tried to talk to...spirit....said only to find "delicious"..children.....oh....also...saw a talking...doll...in rooms nearby...speaking two voices...one childish...one motherly..."

Filimena nods, agreeing with Marik. "If anything, we were quite helpful!" she opines. Approaching the dwarf, she peers over his shoulder into his bag, not bothering to hide her curiosity.

Filimena sees a trio of books in the moments before the bag is closed. One is obviously a journal but the other two are not. They are titled : Phippallo's Enchiridion of Psychic Manifestation and Cati's Manuscripts of Chaos

Disanz nods at Marik, "A doll ... right, do you have it? It might be what is keeping the spirit here." He flips through the book in his hands. Filimena can't tell what is written on the pages as they aren't in a language she knows. There are various diagrams and symbols.

Filimena's gaze lingers on Disanz's books, even as she slowly turns to face Marik in response to the dwarf's question. Psychic Manifestation. That might be interesting.

"I...will seek it..." Marik respond, guiding Rani back toward the room where he last saw the doll. (I think it was the Common room?).

Slipping back down the stairs to the second floor common room, proves no challenge.

However when he reaches the common room there is that same spectral form by the door to the outside. Then a translucent scene plays out before Marik's eyes. The door opens and a small human child, perhaps seven, walks in with a doll in their hand. With hands held out, the woman lifts the child who drops the doll to the floor and rolls to a book case. The child cries out and the woman says, "Oh don't worry, I'll come back for it." The pair vanish as they approach the stairs.

As the room returns to it's current state - Marik see the doll where it was previously sat among some ruined furniture.

Marik take a deep breath, the only thing heard in the still silence of the room, and guide Rani forward. His shoulders tense as he approach the doll. Should he expect to be attacked in the same way as before? Maybe not, but better to expect it. Always expect the worst. Call it a habit, but it served him well in his life so far. He tries to remember the feeling he had earlier when the spirit touched him and how he shook it off, steeling himself to do the same again. He picks up the doll gently from the ground and turn to climb back the stairs.

Now that he's alone, he can't help but notice how quiet it is, and how much more eerie that makes the manor feels. Funny, he thinks, how that makes him feels uneasy now. He lived alone in Tal'Onarafel for decades, for Faen's sake, a empty house and some spirits shouldn't make him feel uneasy, right? Has he gotten already so used to be in a group that he now feels uneasy being alone? This is not right, he needs to be better than this.

Anyway. Something to ponder later....time to join the others.

Meanwhile, on the 3rd floor, Filimena is standing awkwardly between Raszire and Disanz. She tries whistling at first, but that seems hardly respectful, in what is becoming ever more clearly a haunted house. "So," she ventures, finally, not noticing the minor disturbance downstairs. "I see you have some books, Disanz. Do you enjoy reading? I enjoy reading." She averts her gaze, pretending to be preoccupied with a dark stain on the floorboards next to her left foot. Ink? Some kind of dark lager?

Disa smiles, "I do, reading helps me understand things. Also talking with people as well. You never know when knowing a local custom might keep you alive. Did you know the orcs of the orcs of Urshock call themselves Kanrokk which in their language means homeless? They are trying to start trade with the men of the Northern Sanction, but it might not happen because of Korim. Which is a terrible shame really, orcs being held back by the dwarves like that. Hopefully The Crucible can get out of their own way and learn that orcs are more than savages."

Filimena’s eyes glaze over slightly as she nods along to Disanz. “Mhmmm. Right. Is that so?” She says, occasionally, glancing now and then at the stairs, wondering where in the world the elf has gone to. Drats. She’ll have to try another way.

OOC: I guess this means I can return, right? :D

The party hears the stairs creaking under the weight of something heavy, before Rani and Marik appears again, with the elf holding a doll.


"Found it...now?"

"Now the doll goes in the middle of a circle which we have to draw." Disa says as he points to pages in the book showing it to everyone.



"I have a few sticks of chalk which we can use to mark the floor and get things ready. I'll start the ritual but you three will need to interact with whatever happens while I recite the incantations."

Filimena raises an eyebrow, shrugs, and wanders over to the opposite side of the foyer to make room for Disanz. This could be interesting.

Marik frowns...

"Interact....how?....Do we need talk...or battle?" ask the elf, who reach out for the round shield on his back.

OOC: Alright we are going to do this as a skill challenge - a very popular but poorly explained mini-game from 4E. The overall concept is you need to get a number of successes before getting a number of failures. You each get to use a skill, roll against a DC and then we check success / failure.

For this skill challenge you will need 4 Successes before getting 3 Failures.

In our case, should you get 4 successes - congrats you win and the haunting is cleared.

If you get 3 failures then the haunting continue, and you'll probably have a fight on your hands.

This work for everyone?

[Private to GM: https://boccobsblog.com/2015/07/17/1421/]

The words of Marik fall of deaf ears, as Disanz appear entirely focused on the preparation of a ritual. Seeing the mage flip through pages and preparing a arcane circle, Marik resign himself to prepare for the unknown. From what little he know, there is a chance the spirit react qute badly to such attempt and try to attack them.


He quickly goes to Filimena and get something in his bag...a small paper doll, which he gives to the halfling.

"For protection....If goes...awry...pronounce command word...."Script Shield"...look...don't ask me...mages" he says, emphasizing the last word as if it explained everything. He gives the doll to Filimena...but prefer not to share the origin of the command word.

Marik turn to see how Disanz is doing with the ritual.

"Seems ritual will begin..." He looks at Filimena. He try to think of something encouraging to say...and simply gives her a understanding nod before getting in position himself around the circle between her and Disanz. He heard people wishing themselves "good luck" and "take care" when leaving, but feels she would probably laugh at him at the suggestion. Best to not waste time and hope for the best.


OOC: Filimena, Here's the item I gave you.



Paper Armor: You can use an action to activate this doll, which causes it to fold
             itself into a person sized suit of paper armor. The armor vanishes as
             you step into and functions like the mage armor spell. Additionally it
             gives you 36 temp hit points after these hit points are gone the armor
             fades and can't be activated till the next day.

"Hmmm!" Filimena briefly examines the item in her hands. "Duly noted." She turns back and watches the dwarf begin his ritual. She's not nervous yet, but perhaps there will be time for that.

Disanz takes his time crafting the circle. He pauses a couple of time to have the group close windows and door as well as plug large holes to prevent drafts from disturbing the chalk. Nodding as he finishes, Disa looks at the trio gathered, "Alright she's going to come and try to stop us. Most likely you'll be thrown into some sort of vision of the past. I believe you'll assume the role of someone she interacted with or perhaps just a watcher. Stay your ground and remember it can't hurt you there. The past is done and you are just a visitor."

He gestures to the four quadrants of the circle, "Stand in of those, I'll stand in this one and recite the incantation."


OOC: 10:49, Today: Disanz Zahatharb rolled 15,23,2 using 1d20+4,1d20+4,1d4 with rolls of 11,19,2.  Arcana with Advantage and guidance.
Total Arcana check of 25!

Alright here we go now - feel free to describe what you see with your success/failure roll.

Some out of game knowledge:  Snake Skull Manor was once an orphanage run by a Hag as a front to eat orphans. There was a large fire where part of the orphanage burned down and the guards who came to the scene of the fire discovered what had been occurring there all along. She was put on trial and hung for her deeds, but her spirit and the spirit of the orphans still plague the house!

Marik nods and guide Rani to step in one of the circles. He breathes in, breathes out, preparing himself for what is to come.

And then Disanz starts chanting…

And then the world goes black…

As he comes back to his senses, Marik finds himself on the balcony, in front on a door on the third floor. The sun is setting. His hands are brown…but not burnt…and smaller. and Legs…he feels legs…real…not wooden under him…He had forgotten what it was like to stand on two feets.

Thoughts pass through his head. It’s the evening and he knows his friends are in their rooms: Davon, Clarabelle and the others.  The lady with blue eyes they call “mother” is in the kitchen below, cooking something. From what he’s seen in the month he’s been here, she put a lot of effort in her preparation and meal presentations, making it the only moment in the day where she’s too absorbed by what she does to pay attention to them. It’s the moment to act…He feels himself moving…walking….with purpose.

He knows what he’s searching: a wooden horse, with a smile painted in red. He knows she hid it somewhere. He saw her, peeking from under his blanket, sneaking into his room last night and taking it. She told him they are little fey creatures that come and steal children’s toy when they are naughty and that he’s been really naughty lately, bothering her with questions about Tod. Tod found a new family and lives happily now.

She lied to him. He knows it. And he wants it back. His parents carve it for him and he painted it himself the other day. It’s his only treasure….with the exception of Ajax, of course. Ajax who stands right next to him, looking at him with curiosity.

She probably hid it in her bedroom. That’s where he heard her go after she went in his room. She always locks her door, though. But not with a key. She has a key to her room, but she almost never uses it…only when people from the city came to visit. Instead, when she thinks she’s alone, she always touches something on the door with her left hand while turning the handle with her right. He knows, he followed her in silence the other night.

He approaches the door…which is painted entirely with colourful flowers forming a field. There are little etchings in the wood, almost unnoticeable unless looked upon very close, with little dots carved on some petals and long lines spiralling along the stems of some of the larger flowers.

It reminds him of something. What could it be? He passes a finger along the lines, following each of them. There is a pattern to it, but it’s hard to make out. He can discern some etchings creates polygons but not much. It’s pretty dark now.

He looks out the balcony. The sun has set completely now, leaving only faint aura of dying lights in the sky. People are going in lighting torches in the streets. Stars are visible now.

His brain automatically sees them. The Owlbear…the Hydra…The Pegasus…The Twin Sirens….all the constellations of the Northern Sky he spent nights and nights looking at…with his mom teaching him all of them…making him trace them with his fingers.

Wait…

It couldn’t be…

He goes back to the door, tracing the etching with his fingers. The Hydra…The Twin Sirens…The Owlbear…The shapes are identical. The small holes are even in the same place as the stars.

But three don’t fit…to the left.

Marik see himself touch the three dots and turn the knob

The door to the Master Chamber opens….He can't believe it...It's pitch black in here...He search around him... There are oil lanterns on the balcony...He saw mother light them by turning a little wheel inside. He takes one and turn the wheel...a spark...and then fire.

He almost drops the lantern in surprise but keeps it. He takes a breath.

And enters the room...Ajax follows behind.

OOC: Marik rolled a 20 for an Investigation check.

OOC: Part two with my second check to follow!

OOC: oof...sorry for the delay...I wanted to post on Tuesday but ended up rewriting it completely four times...adding characters...removing characters...There as a version with dialogues...others not...changing events because it wasn't believable for a kid...That kid is still pretty eckin smart but I feel a stroke of genius was believable with a 20. :D

She is going to be caught. She is going to be caught. Mere moments into the vision and she is going to be caught. But no, that isn't right. She looks down at her hands. These are not halfling hands. She is not Filimena, she is Dario Ivankamp, private investigator, hired by the City to look into the disappearance of young children. Still going to get caught, though. Unless she - he - can think of something, fast.

What can he do? What can he do? He knows the hag is somewhere in the corridor. He has heard her come in, unexpectedly. She is not supposed to be home. Not this time of day. Dario Ivankamp has spent the last two weeks ascertaining that. Two weeks of following the hag around, morning after morning, afternoon after afternoon, evening after evening. This time of day, she is in the market, shopping for vegetables, for her stews. For her stews. Dario shudders to think of her stews. What is she doing back, this early? It doesn't matter. The hag is back, and he is about to get caught. Unless he can engineer some way out. But What? No windows as far as he can see, the only door out of this place through the corridor, through the corridor where the hag is. He can hear her footsteps. She is getting closer.

Quick, Dario! Think! Think!

"Why hello, Gilly," a sweet voice calls out. He is not Dario anymore. He is not Filimena either. He is a small, human boy, with big floppy ears, and a big red nose, too big for his little head. Poor Gilly. Poor Gilly, who is about to be eaten. There is no way out for him. No way to escape. Even if Dario's plan does work, it will be weeks before anyone can do anything, to spring the children. No time to think about that now.

"H..h..hello, mother," Gilly says, in his little voice.

"What are you doing all the way up here?"

Dario hesitates. He isn't usually very good at lying. Something, though, about this particular occasion... He feels strangely... guided.

"I..I..I...I was hiding," he says.

"Hiding? Hiding, my dear? What are you hiding from?”

For a moment, Dario thinks he detects a hint of malice in her voice. From you, he wants to say. From you. But he cannot, no he cannot say that.

Quick! Think! What did he know about Gilly? What did he know about this small boy? This small, innocent boy, silly, helpless, constantly bullied.

“Jennifer,” he says. “I’m hiding from Jennifer.”

“Hiding from Jennifer?” she replies. “Why, dear?” The hint of malice he detected in her voice is gone for now. Good, it is working. He just needs to see it through.

“She said… she said… she said she would.. she would beat me!”

“What? She said she would eat you?”

Shit.

“No! No! Beat me! Beat me! She said she would beat me!”

The woman laughs. “Oh silly boy. Come. Come down with mama.”

She stretches out her hand. He hesitates. Mustn’t look too eager. “O… o… okay.” He reaches out and accepts it. It is warm. it is soft. He feels sick.

“It’s alright, dear. Jennifer won’t hurt you. Nobody will hurt you, not when mama is around.”

He shakes his head. “No, never.”

She takes his hand and leads him down into the kitchen. Dario cannot help but stare and the pots she has laid out on the counter. He shudders again.

“Are you hungry dear?” she asks, noticing his gaze.

“Yes.”

“Well you’re lucky dear, look what I found at the market today!” Market? There’s no way she can have gone to the market and back this quickly. He watches her lift a piece of meat out of a bag and lay it on the kitchen counter. “Now all I need is a few potatoes. You wait here, now, won’t you dear?”

Gilly nods.

“Good, good.” The old woman, the hag turns and begins to walk to the cellar stairs, then begins to climb down. Seizing the opportunity, Gilly, Dario, Filimena, slips out the open window

OOC: Not sure if Guidance is allowed in these visions. If yes, then 17 (it says 18, but the d4 was re-rolled because of Halfling Luck, which shouldn't apply). If no, then 16, which I believe is still a pass?

19:59, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 18 using 1d20+8+1d4, rerolling ones with rolls of 8,{1}2.  Deception with Guidance.


This message was last edited by the player at 14:02, Sat 01 Aug 2020.

The master’s bedroom is empty, illuminated only by the flickering light of the oil lantern he holds. Through the eyes of the child, Marik see a large unmade bed in the center of the room. Two of the walls are giant bookshelves, filled to the brim with trinkets, jars and old-looking books. There is also a giant painting next to the open window…depicting a green forest in the evening light.

A shiver pass through the child spine. This isn’t mother’s room… She showed her room the other day, to that inspector. There were no bookshelves. Just clean, white walls. What is this?

He takes a step forward, pulling something that snap. A small silver thread. It’s probably okay, he thinks. He needs to hurry, she’s probably going to call them any moment to eat. He needs to find his wooden horse. He begins to look around frantically,

“Ajax, help me find it!” he says, looking at the shelves under the light of the lantern.

Amber stones with dark shapes in them, vials with coloured liquids, leather sacks, a sack of feathers, stacks of papers….nothing that seems”

CRUMBLE…..KRASH

He turns, his heart skipping a beat. He sees Ajax on one of the shelves, with papers, stuff and what seems like broken glass on the floor.

“Oh no…no…no! Ajax, no!” He says, panicking, taking papers to put them back on the shelves. The paper feels unexpectedly heavy…and leathery. As if he was touching…his own skin.

Putting them quickly on the shelves, he turn to take a small hairy ball…and gasp when it turns out there is a face to it…

Wait…it can’t be.

He put on the light closer. His eyes wider and a cold shiver traverse his spine.

"T….Tod?"

The shrunken head doesn’t respond.

He hears squelching…munching sounds behind him and turn. He sees the painting…but it’s changed now…It shows horses on a field, at night, eating something dark and bleeding. The memories…and tears come rushing in…

“Mama…” he can hear himself squeak, his voice breaking.

And then…as if called, he hears the steps in the stairs…

Tears still streaming on his face, he jumps on his feets and looks around for Ajax. It’s right there…next to him, as always.  Panicked, he takes him and run to the window.

“I’m sorry. Run!” he says throwing his pet by the window. He takes the time to see the ginger tomcat falls and lands on its paws, running and disappearing in the dark.

Marik see himself standing back, defeated. The footsteps sound dies. He hears heavy breathing and a giggle. He can feel her behind him, a large silhouette in the door frame.

“Who’s been a wicked child?”

He doesn’t have the courage to turn.






OOC: Marik rolled 1 for Perception. Damn it…We were so close.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:14, Mon 03 Aug 2020.

Disanz continues the chanting. All around the group doors are opening and closing, windows slam shut, and the throughout the manor a cacophonous sound of feet moving across the floor.

Current tally

Success [x] [x] [x] []
Failure [x] [x] []

I can roll for Raszire or one of y'all can. I rather not roll the pass/fail check.

“Who took it?” Mother asks, glaring down at the girls, her hands on her hips. “Who stole the pie?”

Millie, Trish, and Robin look to one another, frightened.

“Don’t look at each other, look up here, at me! Who stole the pie!” Mother is getting angrier. Reaching out, she grabs Robin’s chin and turns her head towards her. Robin finds herself staring into mother’s eyes. Something is different about them. “Come on! Admit it! One of you did!”

“We.. we didn’t!” Trish murmurs, finally. “We were outside!”

Mother lets go of Robin and turns to Trish, growling. “Lies! Lies!”

“Trish isn’t lying! We really were outside!” Millie cries, close to tears now.

Mother roars in frustration and stomps away from the girls, then stomps back again. She pauses in front of them, seeming to make her mind up about something.

“Fine. If none of you will confess…” She begins to smile.

Millie, Trish, and Robin look at one another again, more terrified than ever.

“Dance,” she says, still smiling.

What? Robin gasps.

“Dance!” she says again, louder. “If you won’t confess, dance!”

None of of the girls move. Mother turns and walks over to the wall, where a wooden cane hangs from a hook. She takes it and turns back towards the girls, swinging it about in the air, so fast it makes whirring noises.

Trish begins to tap her feet, tip toeing first on her right foot, then her left, then her right again. Mother’s smile turns into a grin.

“That’s right… that’s right…” she says, nodding in approval. “The two of you, don’t just stand there, dance!”

Millie and Robin begin to dance too. Millie turns around slowly, executing a twirl in slow motion. She starts to cry. Robin pirouettes, hopping into the air.

“Yes! Yes! Dance for me!” Mother begins to laugh. Stepping back, she begins to tap her feet as well, as if to some silent music nobody can hear.

“Faster! Dance faster!” The girls start to move more quickly. “And you! Stop crying! Crying means you’re guilty! Crying means you stole the pie!”

“I didn’t steal the pie! I didn’t steal the pie!” Millie is swirling around, faster and faster. She has difficulty keeping her balance, and nearly slams into Trish.

“Faster!” Mother is laughing hysterically. The girls are all in a frenzy now. Trish pulls out a chair and hops onto it and then onto the table. Millie runs around the room, not so much dancing as scrambling about haphazardly. Robin spins around on the spot, as quickly as she can, then leaps into the air. Mother’s laughter turns louder and crazier. What is happening to her? Robin finds herself entranced. Something takes hold of her body. She finds she cannot stop. She dances and dances and dances, faster and wilder than she ever has before.

“Stop!” Mother shouts, suddenly. Trish and Robin freeze immediately. Millie continues moving for a while, before catching herself against a wall, and leaning against it to catch her breath.

“Good… good…” mother says. She has stopped laughing. She is smiling now. Sweat drips down her forehead. Has she been dancing too? No, only laughing.

Millie, Trish, and Robin cast glances at each other again. What is going to happen now?

Mother steps forward and begins to examine the girls, her eyes darting this way and that.

“Robin! You danced the best! You didn’t steal the pie!”

What? Millie and Trish glare at their sister, not quite believing what they are hearing. Then they turn to look at mother, who is facing them now, wearing a menacing grin. Millie and Trish begin to shudder, grabbing ahold of one another in terror.

“Please, mother! None of us took the pie!” Trish cries. Mother isn’t listening anymore. She steps towards them, licking her lips as she does.

“That wasn’t much of a dance, now, was it, Millie,” mother says. Almost at once, she reaches out, and grabs her by the arm. Instinct takes over. Robin lunges at mother, trying to tear her away from Millie, but mother is much too big, and pushes Robin away. She begins to drag Millie, who has begun writhing, struggling to get free. Still mother screeches and cackles.

The cellar! Robin rushes over to the trap door. She must stop mother from taking Millie. It’s useless, though, and she knows it. Without letting go of Millie, mother twists her waist about and gives Robin a solid kick, sending her sprawling across the room. With the same foot, she catches the handle of the door and lifts it open.

“Down you go!” she cries, still cackling, and tosses Millie in. Millie screams before she hits the cellar floors. There is a sickening snap. Robin whimpers, nearly vomiting. Mother seems not to notice. Stepping into the cellar, she turns and gives Robin a wink, then vanishes, pulling the door shut behind her.

OOC:

20:06, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 25 using 1d20+5+1d4 with rolls of 19,1.  Performance with Guidance.

Disanz's chanting grows louder as everyone returns to the presents. Looking about you see dozens of small children gathered around the edge of circle, all echoing the chanting.

In the center of the circle appears a form. It is floating over the doll. As it takes shape it appears first as the woman from your visions then it shimmers and reveals its true self. She is a night hag with hair black as pitch, skin the blue-purple of a new bruise, and eyes of a sickly yellow. She looks about the room and grins then stops ... as though she know something is wrong. Moments pass then she howls so loud that it shake the building then vanishes in a puff of sulfur smelling smoke.

After about a minute of silence, Marik let out a deep sigh, clutching Rani's saddle.

"That was...rough" he starts. With his expression, he might as well have said "harrowing".

"Well done, mage." he continue "For a moment...I thought we were...on verge of losing"..."I...I was wrong...wasn't a Uskeche...this...was...much worse... monstrous...were right, Filimena...really was "fiend"".

He lift the head, checking how the others are doing.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:31, Wed 05 Aug 2020.

The spectral children smile at each of you and each other before slowly vanishing.

Filimena watches the children sidelong, her face otherwise inclined downwards. One of them, a little boy in a blue checkered shirt with curly blond hair, reminds her a lot of her brother when he was his age. How long has it been since she last saw him? Four years, nearly. Of course, by then, he looked nothing like the boy. His hair darkened with age, and he started keeping it short, somewhat unusually for one of their clan. Those sad eyes, though.

Filimena shakes her head as the children vanish. "So that's it then?" she asks, looking at Disanz. "She's gone for good?" She looks around, suddenly more keen to have a proper look around the manor. For the first time, she finds herself entertaining the idea of keeping it.

"I think so...yes..." say Marik "This place is....empty... now..."


Marik and Rani goes up to the center of the room. Marik let Rani lower him down and dismount to kneel on the floor. He remove his gloves, close his eyes and touch the floor, speaking a prayer in Sylvan. He ask the the Slow Wind of Eternal Sleep, the Ageless Quelen, to gently carry the souls of these childrens upon the Sea of Stars, before switching to Elven.

[Language unknown: "Lallil ar Onmobe, ad ho ni eiwi lelass ortintome tinlesres i mapro San ne ng Onsca tetant Ofhatr, earounnce ceine din ngon it utio oveousday encicaivehas. Plelun resswe somsi loss anyatevor ei iv ic elwe larastare manlessan neleat ad eillch unnaac ioonse. Yinwerare men ul evtimo enmema n icitri ivta ivfich ol plwil sewh nenacaes."]


Marik then open his eyes again and sigh. He climbs back on Rani.

"Spirits are gone....but many...secrets remains here. Kalazabaar...runes in cellar...other owners...should check the place...at least, no worries to disturb...now", he says.

Marik turn the head toward the library door, guiding Rani to take a few steps toward it.

Disanz nods, "Yes, yes, I think we did it. Now, we need to see about properly disposing of the doll, though that task shouldn't be too difficult.."

[Private to GM: Marik is assaulted by the smell of mold as he opens the door. He finds the library in total disarray. It's ceiling collapsed after a leak, and probably a heavy snow, and the twenty or so books left in the room are completely unreadable.]

Filimena raises an eyebrow. "Properly disposing? We don't just toss it in a bin?"

"A...bin? What is a bin?" ask Marik, confused "A sort of box, like coffin? Could do, even if never understood that..death rite. Better to just bury in earth, so that worms can feast..." add the elf, stating the obvious without a hint of malice.

"Oh no, we have to see that the doll is placed in a loving home so that any traces of spirit will be dissipated," Disanz says. "I think I know a place where it can be taken, if you trust me to deal with it."

"I..have no objections..." says the elf. "Where did learn this ritual, Disanz? Seems simple and quite effective..." 
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:41, Tue 18 Aug 2020.

Taking a cloth from his coat, Disanz wipes  his face. You all notice that Disa is dripping with sweat. "Easy ... not sure I'd say that, but effective ... very much." He closes the book he'd been reading from and puts it back in his bag. "I got that book from a black dragonborn in Ziris by the name of Saraha. I recall she made very nice tea"

"Hm...Ziris..Would really like to visit....maybe in a few decades or a century..." say Marik, mentally putting it on the list of future travels. It's already getting pretty long for this century. Maybe he could delay his desire to see the Long Plains West of Tal'Onarafel and swap in a trip to the South. Ziris does seems more and more like a interesting location. And to be honest, he really only want to go West to see the squeleton of that giant beast some hunters told him about when he was younger. That could wait another century or two.

He's a bit disappointed Disanz didn't mention something closer, but that is to be expected with arcane knowedge. He does remember Disanz mentionned a place in Titan's Gate where a certain Rishaal own shop.

"You mentionned a place...Book Worm....Book's Wyrm....Treasure....nearby...think they might have good books on the matter? or already... took them all for your research?"



OOC: ....Sahara....wow XD
This message was last edited by the player at 12:51, Wed 19 Aug 2020.

Filimena shrugs, not particularly bothered what happens to the doll, although after what she's just been through, she does see the sense in making sure the evil spirit never returns.

"Now, now, Marik, let's not bother our poor friend about books," she says grinning.

OOC: Hehe.

"Right....earned some rest" says the elf. "We can...finish exploration on our own...start cleaning. Invite new...peaceful... spirits to inhabit and help heal...". "Where can...we...find you in the city?"



OOC: How should we proceed, DM? Would you prefer a piece by piece exploration of the rest of the manor or do you prefer to send the description of the other pieces in one big post, assuming we explore the rest of the manor?
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:33, Fri 21 Aug 2020.

Over the course of hours the trio finds a manor in ruin but with potential.

Third Floor

• The privy is nice and clean actually, it’s basically a little stool with a hole in the floor, the plumbing goes down to the cellar and is the pipe that’s broken.
  
• The library is in total disarray. The ceiling collapsed after a leak, and probably a heavy snow, and the 20 or so books left in the room are completely unreadable. It reeks of mold.
  
• The private bath has a large copper tub, it’s full of rust and debris and half full of water, the water ripples a little and you discovered a frog and tadpoles have decided it's their new home.
  
• The master bedroom is empty except for a large wardrobe, when you open it it’s full of dried up pine branches.
  
• The other bedroom is really plain, and the bed in it is actually in pretty good shape, it smells of moth balls and dust. There is a painting on the wall of Snake Skull Alley taken almost from a birds eye view.

Upper Level Map


Garret / Attic

• The one bedroom has a broken window and when you opened the door two ravens startle from their nests and fly out the window. Everything in this room is ruined
  
• The other room is full of junk, it appears whenever a piece of furniture or such was broke it was tossed into this room rather than throwing it away..

Turret Peak

• A single chair and an empty painting easel. The other bedroom on the 3rd floor had a worn painting from this viewpoint.

This message was last edited by the GM at 18:52, Fri 21 Aug 2020.

Disanz awaits the group back down in the tavern space. He's having a drink of dark beer as you come in, "Well will you take the place as payment or shall I have to find another way to replay you?"

A little prior to that, as they finish their exploration and before joining Disanz at the tavern, Marik would like to have a little conversation with Filimena on the road about the path to take. He speaks in Elven, since he knows she understands it well and it's much easier for him to articulate his thoughts.

[Language unknown: 
"Ni, maling be eststaven seere, ilame str sonpreecttiothu Tacasi ncllch? Lo whtipo yin comthiout ill whitharuters ss utun elinpe? M haslarerstedany nculhi ti intan mofoouarit ev ati romyinlin tidiof, strarewhecomwas wiloneredeveion niit proastsonday dinintnte. U et formenershis, He leoun witeve'sontin k i utbeus thuhoulin u urewitour ersei o predinour ut, yinre ard p chstenpeer plis icro hatoeroun k daytintin oume chul plofme. Peenel whell, Evard isbut notr is enctheher ichte. A sheeveeve undpa la omee o Hiinioetec, ou K stinotvir hiart antersent ble es tere hermaneve ca paos tineveine p Thuughwit Ckwhe.  Ect wer Ut es ardwitomeenc ad erbe outoiv inmo mo wipa erafi dierth i ear iv. Evties sina ilto-trou ha diec poness ie oulil u e thunt sa era. Na tho thailling ng heut tioessthiles, ratanywhi M ishoek setrutine ieac lesdinble me chienc o erit was. Isreri, Na atiblekor Wi antstiwer ect omtio ncederred encwhedaycon un her wa waart venleslat, butwhithe ol nceit ersdinsantio a andtrashe disa a ckisil. I thaionard vorouldin miio us u ivul me el al, di i anacfo asnc not conhissan foil as plisos maare k antnceave rotesena ee divir ame."]

He pause, before resuming

[Language unknown: 
" Earho str ular ardconted oun, llouri p ent hatandwas ssni. Ur anych mi ad disi ch one maoun ecear aiti intredare, ofwhse U traeenast a th...sompreall tree encreawit ore t ofth, Icrat us vorillven ie iealtari sa masilo ad teear ad. Kordinous elisnc sti er ver sseau i earaindinint artwasove, Ate inare lifo nghe, nd o man errat u int wi, Le in....Oereensti day red atilintio a of et, larndeoneons thu, aiei menro teiehe onsanyera thilfo eeekck rock areeheil. Trpr ithnceres itennt... ure evteos verourhatsti, era ndewerest no anth entasiinof ven i ieus n ro iv ro sanch ndetho'redeauers aveillous. Eear ev yin lar, u Oreha tasech adant le cetani li day a adenuris ev. Io i nitio losaou?"
]
This message was last edited by the player at 20:38, Fri 21 Aug 2020.

Filimena pauses with a start. Marik, help her in her search for her brother? She vaguely recalls he had offered to help. She had assumed he was only being polite, and not serious. That had been before. Now she understands that if she agreed, he would indeed help. But how?

Filimena frowns. She had been searching for Finneas nearly two years before that fateful day she had found herself inexplicably stumbling soaked to the skin and covered in leaves into a tavern in Titan’s Gate. And what does she have to show for these two years? Nothing. Algabassadur aren’t helping either, she notes in irritation. They had agreed to help. Or had she misunderstood their offer?

“Thank you,” she says, finally. “I do intend to continue my search for my brother. I never thought to ask for help from another, but I suppose… Well, I clearly have not been very successful so far, searching alone.”

“My brother is in many ways my opposite. He is loud and boisterous, always enthusiastic and eager to call attention upon himself. He is a natural bard, a storyteller. If I ever find him, it will be in a city, probably a large one. I imagine if we ask around in taverns, it will be only a matter of time before we hear tell of him. Or, we can search the streets. I imagine if he isn’t in a tavern, he will be out along some major avenue, shouting stories into a crowd. I’ve searched the Three Cities, but not here in Titan’s Gate. That would be a good place to start.” A thought occurs to Filimena, a possibility she has never yet considered. She dismisses it on impulse, but not before a flash of uncertainty crosses her face.

“As for this house…” she pauses, not quite certain how to proceed. What she would like to do is to clean this place up, and refurnish it, perhaps rent it out, wait for its value to appreciate before disposing out it. Gods, she is turning into her parents. She does not have her parents’ resources, however. “It seems this is really the only reward we had expect to receive, at least for now. I say we accept it, and hold on to it for now. Besides, we will need to have control over it if we are to have access to the portal in the basement. I assume we are still interested in that, mildly at least.”

“As it is, this place has been lying empty for some time. I can’t imagine it will do it much harm to lie empty for a bit more. Alternatively, we could see if there is anybody happy to occupy it for a while. We could offer it for free, in return for them helping to clean up and furnish it slightly. Perhaps the Lantern Street Orphanage could do with a bit more room. Granted, the history of this place is somewhat unfortunate, but there’s no harm asking.”

Marik smiles,

[Language unknown: "Sa ai a lean e ted unore, ecsan me vor uswilo ncni din osove laofic tomo be ich. To olhi ivcom nc thaingder. Ng in en Te und, ta Trpame chun, chmi der haenil anpe useen urofthofus. Ch diame erathiint, etunpr, vir...llher the somterreaand p Ithwa ti ame ekelilho al din Oullinovewit rut romsonect prpalo osretr. Eenil ameic ulmout in di il n din iouatintioun nt onsthelat, is eeines neoun ullieito, ourous was seiv e onsreaeratra waosnc po prnctr as peei Estatedin...K ineiv ic wil linkorous. Vir....Nama mole encantfor Ic of u. "
]
He pause, his voice breaking slightly while he looks at the pebbles on the road.

[Language unknown: "I firut hisamerom...ofom hisos heneec hihi i...ekhi Atpr...onsho tratedlat to...nti a poble k thi lesterine. Fo onese li utmoes a se m hano urewhiort meven. Wi mo m omeherart lin are stiven-lesati ith be o...O ver shevirles Wa he o nipr ur he nd atstil ons isiomi u mewh." ]

With these words, he smiles, look at her and nods

[Language unknown:
"Whethiwhe os oftock n tamill Terthuome hascomthi tra. P wi iv plbees ounithhas, eau I he aleeti llroom atipreone at ugh. Pa latpreund i alllo diek n ho aimi utdi iongac. Esunpe stelou heshe aimaomti. Resioueve se i uspees ortstioun. Ncevirfor O for, As in andourhas loitwi mi beli diningwil aioer le. Nt ol ta sti lllo u san art hassi insate whi eeolet hofost k to cawehe. Hill in sa oulreddin ut ektoieur ma an nick loioom era leiere. Prlowa ca thaverdin manamesan ne pr caanfi resreaect ssniur yinno atekar bleillvename hoomar."]
This message was last edited by the player at 02:06, Wed 26 Aug 2020.

Filimena struggles to hold back a grimace, feeling slightly embarrassed. In her mind, she had merely done what was in the interest of the whole party, including herself. She shrugs on impulse, casting the thoughts out of her mind.

"Yes, let's accept the manor. I'm not sure how much work I really want to put into the place, but we could clean it up a bit, and see what to make of it. And if it doesn't work out, we could always sell it, or rent it. We wouldn't be worse of than we started anyway. And I know a mending cantrip!"

"As for searching for my brother," she says after a pause, rubbing her chin in thought. "I appreciate the offer of help. Yes, we could ask around the city. It seems we might be here a while anyway, cleaning up the house. We may as well have a look around on the side."

Filimena turns to Disanz, glancing momentarily back at Marik, then to again to the dwarf. "I think you know our decision."

Disanz raises the mug and smile, "I won't have dreamed to guess your minds my friends, but I'm glad you will accept the place. I'm sure having a trio of good adventurers like you in this area of Titan's Gate."

"I'll take with some construction folks I know, see if they can come around and at least give you an idea of what needs to be done here. I do know that there's a woodworking shop in the Alley by called The Bent Nail, might be a good way to meet your neighbors."

"Hum...interesting...certainly...." respond the elf, curious. Could be interesting to see what kind of techniques they use around here. If he like what he sees, maybe he could trade something for a few lessons to improve his skills? He thinks of himself as quite dexterous, but there's always room for improvement.

But there is also something else. Something that's being gnawing at him.

"I won't stay...long...sun going down...and few errands would like to run. See you soon...around" says the elf, as he leaves the tavern.


OOC: Marik would like to go to Book Wyrm's Treasure, if possible.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:30, Tue 01 Sept 2020.

Filimena is just about to say something when Marik utters his goodbye and abruptly leaves the building, leaving her standing with a finger raised to the air and her mouth hanging awkwardly opened.

"Well, I suppose he'll be back soon enough," she says after a brief pause and some throat-clearing. "What about the two of you? Any place you have to be?"

OOC: Actually, what time of day is it? I would have thought it's still only mid-afternoon.

OOC Around 1500/3pm

Location : Book Wyrm’s Treasure
Marik finds the store easily enough as he see a charming sign of a dragon curled around a treasure hoard of books and scrolls. Inside, the shop is decorated with beautiful hardwood, and the earthy scent of old books permeates the air. The library fills two floors of this three-story building, and it somehow seems to contain more shelves than the building should be able to hold.


Location : Snake Skull Manor


This message was last edited by the GM at 16:39, Wed 27 Jan 2021.

Marik is surprised, but appreciate the gesture. His eyes goe wide as he observe the library. It's been a long time he saw so many books in one place. Maybe there could be a chance...if he can trust this person.


"Moien...Rishaal?....a mage...friend...spoke of your shop..."

He pause, thinking of his words, before pursuing.

[Language unknown: "O k ulprteof st eaureatin fi whiouleau traenttha? El mihachse ul Reaeralat we ekenck urfoal." ]
This message was last edited by the player at 18:34, Tue 01 Sept 2020.

Location : Book Wyrm’s Treasure

The dragonborn smiles, [Language unknown: "Is teoube, neeiek re n el ek ratareone wilometho."] They gesture to the books, [Language unknown: "Antio, ovend neeeeril na ere ure?"]

[Language unknown: "Roettaho."] Marik smiles. Good! That would have been a handful to explain in Common.


[Language unknown: "Loofei man. A mannceeve a acckno ei manse...rihatocaur. Ho U iete, Ur wh stisa hasatinte vor outtedanyoulpro ei wa tic moenno, und rialun etbe ardwilhas nghemisand ntloai cksiad meee avemenhouver siel'mace lounek Outove-verter proreseauing, beonur preaveeau, poesiste foon comvirday. Ch, ca mere (ce sailno k eion mi Anieev)...ingounareing tiore... atesic reca heons thoearher i trasetkorere vir waseauwit reasomestwas ameingprower m tio lesarting, erfo ic ticul....T, resardess ar eeoun char ek oerca si sith diure sianeearat. (ri butthubut...etpero Eresheort derdayntetho medipo eneeheutpa). Liatouos, vorardrea...T bletrawashat al ncal ndnaat K ec mana adsesipo ainioupro staichwer...ere proanyhat a ecteaures ons...alldayithect a es it...tihipo wi llncmero miweiv romlinhisratrom conre adul eveounvor siitel. E, E ng di pana ssei k ofil'olon osalle moofla ant il venstaiou, atbethha thfor witndethooreder thawasearati watiar hawhi ectoweas t ce strtedect no erstioast...?" ]
This message was last edited by the player at 20:28, Tue 01 Sept 2020.

Location : Book Wyrm’s Treasure

[Language unknown: "Ted taine menearman hirefota ... omlonohono out iv whi. I anywa mosaiv mong urfiur adheha pl ch Ceons wer m vir be howe mi ssiv."] Rishaal scribbles something in a notebook they produce from within the folds of their clothing. [Language unknown: "omut sonovesontrande"] then notebook disappears as quickly as it appeared.

[Language unknown: "Illoulsta trala esskoriouday p ncthu onereaons nti ncfoss ildi strredons. Maei t ore ingil m ngilri bengio hocker esswilastrut e thuthince asreio a lar aiosoupa amekorichmen ec notsomoul ichereame'encous. Itsica Ti asmo we hate ssader ne nceesstic mantedicamen il ard o larevebutith seurfo ad roac earectstr haie eauherousthiith forone utour lintheatihis haples ck riil."]


OOC: Are you okay with pulling a little form Eberron on this? I think having the elves of Collabris acting like the Gatekeepers in Eberron might be a good bit of lore

OOC: That would be awesome and I am definitely here for it. :D


[Language unknown: "Whe ourbutver na ildi ticeenwit. He, ons urefo pe aipr'mesaei o di Sa icssof Th ntre. Et arseom mesta ni evndiv wheurewaspre haicdi eiwhti "se dayughast" i "Asndcael" seich ticavepre lestichis evseas elwi il commanher cewhma neacch O to nehe. Sa est tin ourec adnce. Enc anywi pa ouwail o nifi ichtha'earstidin ac A ave horoal ortwilyin itce-tole oerec elecel erbefi "ceckcepape" m "Alneer miev-iemo" pe pr stsan tho ngli antereave." ]

Filimena looks out the window. "I suspect Marik might have wanted to come along for this, but I don't see why we couldn't pop by first just to say hello. It's early yet after all. To the Bent Nail?"

She casts her gaze about the room and settles finally on a small, ornate, ceramic jar that looks like it might have been designed originally to function as an urn, although it is empty now. She wipes the dust off its inside and outside surfaces with the bottom of her cloak, and Mends a small, hairline crack running down one side. "There, good as new. Wouldn't want to meet our new neighbours without a gift, would we?"

OOC: Filimena is just going to go for a stroll down towards the Bent Nail, taking note of any other houses and shops she might encounter along the way, just in case any pique her interest.

Filimena also examines the ceramic urn briefly to see if there's anything interesting she can say about it. Perhaps we could say it bears the traditional form of urns from Ardenia, but somewhat usually, also shows design influences from nearby Korim?

Edit: Oh! And yes, totally up for a bit of Eberron in whatever form!
This message was last edited by the player at 23:02, Wed 02 Sept 2020.

Location : Book Wyrm’s Treasure

---

Location : In transit to The Bent Nail
Disanz explains that there are two paths to take to the Bent Nail, one through the alley's north entry the other via the northeast entry - not terribly much different save for what you might pass. The trio of buildings between the Manor and The Bent Nail appear to be housing mostly with the large one nearest the Bent Nail being a multi-floor tenant building.

Location : The Bent Nail
A small wooden sign above this shop’s main door is bare except for a large, bent nail sticking out of it. Steping inside, Filimena finds the front room contains displays of ornate wooden furniture, as well as a selection of bows and crossbows. The wall behind the counter is lined with rows of finely carved wooden canes, quarterstaffs, and shields.



OOC: Updated the Group 1 Game Map with the annotated Snake Skull Alley map
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:55, Tue 08 Sept 2020.

OOC: Ahhh....I do love to see a mixed functions neighborhood with housing and proximity shops. It pleases my urban planning heart :D



Marik look at the arcane symbols, but especially at Rishaal as they speak, trying to pick up slight cues the dragonborn might be lying or simply putting on a pretentious show to impress him. He knows Disanz recommended them and part of him feels shame for doubting of this person, but he can't help it. The individual is hard to read, but nothing so far in the Dragonborn behavior have indicate any foul play or charlatanism. If only, the existence of a protected room would indicate they treat knowledge about elder evils with the gravitas expected of a knowledgeable arcanist. He decides to go with it.

"Wise..." he comment simply, as he begins to peer over the book titles. He sees a few written in Common: "Strange Stars", "Songs of the Sunless Sea", "These Ancient Bones", "The Binding Wills of Mountains", "Uncertain Embrace: A Journey through Darkness". But he also cath the sight of a few tomes written in Elvish as he passes trough  [Language unknown: "Ratwhihatant iobeee Ughountraany omenc"], [Language unknown: "Athat Nainou n Wetoon thuof Yinastpro Isurwe"],[Language unknown: "He elson Ingwerrut a san Eau"], [Language unknown: "Ho Ofwero k Asaric"], [Language unknown: "Adiv Oer ll Hewiou p Inesomughective Teelck"], [Language unknown: "Iouderthu Setdayntetha" ]. Some of these books have an almost metallic look, due to the sturdy Ameniel wood bark used to make their beautifully engraved covers. He can't resist asking the question.

[Language unknown: "Oneproove Tielun...iveeauwas oreerethu me Comndeoun. Ac caos earhoulat ing onprmola?"]


OOC: Maril rolled 11 for a Insight check on Rishaal.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:06, Wed 09 Sept 2020.

Filimena steps through the door into the Bent Nail and greets its owner with a flourish and a bow. "Greetings!" she says, brightly. "We're here to say hello, mainly. We're you're new neighbours! Just moved into Snakeskull Manor down the road!"

She grimaces slightly before adding, "Yeah, we should probably give the place a new name, along with a new coat of paint, and some new furnishings. Actually, it's a huge mess, and basically uninhabitable. Nice to meet you!" She offers her hand.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:40, Wed 09 Sept 2020.

Location : Book Wyrm’s Treasure

---

Location : The Bent Nail
[Private to Filimena the Gentle: thrill of destruction
becomes
joy of creation
time changes all ]

It is indeed a little unsettling...though he has the habit of seeing Rani up close when he has to clean her fangs... Rishaal smile at least doesn't convey the smell of their last meal...

[Language unknown: Li nd paus didin ourntioul str p waslesave...] Marik sigh  [Language unknown: "Ng Ilic'pome Al icaichest esndomacno ere thelse-mial n i esme liee filisa ine nttr...eraratanyorteen le seetpa oun n lionarin terse wasortoursan. Stard ouel utnde astandove trli ek, mo ecare actrosen sanortore ssmaes eemapo. Re i ssder a un blentenot Ei und u menho aiic. . Wilse rut roio meilma ee ieckad, teest inearerat stoun aremantraderher oveoreons osur hehewe neoul I ameanytio ourkoroerect. Lo rice m ati erst Ave ionticdayone trawer'ourlestha romratthooutthe has Veronseve k wa Erelesatiand Ous st ivewheany isaiwi m loinan liwhroetme. Linaveven allherere ivplmi no onpa, romvirort, A acne fo wailic sonwi preforstr wa tedameast usad essar, lesantthi u ssurunulin i Cetra... miekno, illortsti eiiswiompr orete somineher hericawit n utfocass. U Intiouart, thlipe men reiton neweio ilndel thtelemi, ion ncehouect tafo ur lipr lofo erfiolcani a stiome "urivecrolo" m fono loec ro o ersinewhe?]" he says, as he looks over the walls of books.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:00, Thu 10 Sept 2020.

Filimena grips the half-elf's hand a bit more firmly than she usually would as the Voices once again invade her consciousness, this time accompanied by a curious ringing in her left ear that persists for a while after they go silent. Letting go, she coughs awkwardly. "Ahem. Well! Our reputation precedes us! How... uh... gratifying!" She turns back towards Raszire and gives him a look that says, Not bad! Who knew!

"In any case, my name is Filimena. This here is Raszire, and that over there is Disanz. We have another friend Marik who is shopping for books, I think. Pleased to meet you," She continues, politely. "We could certainly do with the help. I don't suppose you have a catalogue of some kind? Something we could refer to maybe? To get a sense for your wares? And your prices?" She lowers her voice slightly mentioning price, realising she isn't exactly swimming in coin at the moment. She might have to work out some kind of payment plan. She glances around, noting that the furniture around her looks ornate.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:15, Thu 10 Sept 2020.

Location : Book Wyrm’s Treasure

---

Location : The Bent Nail

unsurprisingly 5E does have prices for furniture
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:16, Fri 11 Sept 2020.

"Disanz....Zahatharb?" ask Marik, taking the book and checking the name on the cover. "Right...He was the one who recommended me this place. Could be a good starting point, yes, but I was also hoping for something more...um...how to put this...advanced. For all the interesting information collected by Disanz and former slaves, they were prey of these creatures. I'd like something that was written by hunters. Disanz mentionned he and his party were saved from a Illithid by a group of gith. What are they? Are they predators of these illithids? Are they feral creatures or people?

As he talks, Marik passes a gloved hand over the cover of a few of the books in Elvish.

"Or maybe you have something in these? I recognize the carving style and the materials used on this cover. They come from the woods, near the lost capital. Is that where you got them?"



OOC: For the sake of efficiency, I took the liberty of having Marik ask multiple questions at once.

Rishaal nods as they look at the section of elven books, [Language unknown: "Trri, Ss ne eihaen reons Atfiulnd ineti eauforwhi thuli whro. Rom Whieravor li tioatepre u t fi paof strpl le adwiel asliom orewilard traicaconlar a hible na pre thuoerwer hatatisetpro wi iv Achiar Ssna. T ave oneonehououn iltail ac aihaho plngfo yinsomman oervenhou u stiestvirall ous esndiv."]

The titles that Marik sees are The Corruption of Leaves, The Arcane Esoterica of Gilli, Folio of Cataclysm, and The Noriusyph

[Private to GM: The Arcane Esoterica of Gilli: This large libram is written upon parchment and bound in bronze plates set with spinel. It is locked by magic, and can be opened only by a drop of wine. When used in divine research, this tome provides a +1 bonus to checks using calligrapher's supplies.

Folio of Cataclysm: This set of scrolls is contained in an oak box inlaid with brass.

The Noriusyph Esoterica: This rare book is written upon parchment and bound in stained glass plates. It is locked by magic, and can be opened only in a mirror. An individual who reads this tome, which requires 32 hours over a minimum of 4 days, gains the ability to cast the spell Divination. Charisma is the spellcasting ability for this spell. After casting this spell, you can't cast it again until you complete a long rest. ]

OOC: Wow. Lot to unpack here.


Marik look with great interest each one of the titles. "Corruption of leaves" "Folio of Cataclysm". He reflect on his dream, many years ago. Could it be? Could it be that in one of of them, he could finally find something related to what he felt that night? He wants to read all of them.

Rishaal words about their trip to Vellardin and elven refugees push him out of his thoughts.


[Language unknown: " Hatvorstrsan....tr?...ofuril?"] Marik respond, eyes wide, and with a bit more enthusiasm than he would have liked.

Thinking of it, while it's a very long way to travel, it would make sense for at least some elves to have taken refuge here instead of the haunted woods. That could explain at the very least why there are some artefacts and books from the lost capital laying around...Still, Marik can't imagine that some elves would willingly part with magic objects, even simple bracers, from the capital. Could it be that some were attacked on their way here? Or that some of these adventurers tasked to reclaim items from the capital sold them to the highest bidder?

[Language unknown: "Illencart...loiewe is ome panone os antardstr ica se red totree painlali u und pr? N ers oulpr tio tessto elch an we. P we trtiloio tower ratwasout ast eipole din ma santh t po itilta os honcst."] he says, as he open his bag to take out the bracers with Vellardin crest.

[Language unknown: "Ilreng ce not enctinoernde, ec ingasttra plssioat ch se ha tiunpr e ersughons enstai?"].
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:34, Mon 14 Sept 2020.

Filimena twiddles her thumbs for a moment, then turns her attention to a nearby wooden chair and pretends to inspect it for a moment, before turning back to the elf with a slight grimace on her face. "Well, there's the thing. I'm sure you've seen the place - from the outside at least. It's in quite a state. Repair works might be rather... extensive. How should I put this delicately?" - she pauses to think - "We're kind of not very rich. See, we accepted the house in lieu of payment. I don't suppose we could work out a kind of payment plan? Maybe you have some work we could help you with? You know?" She begins to gesture with her hands, making "pew, pew!" and slashing noises.

Location : Book Wyrm’s Treasure

---

Location : The Bent Nail

Filimena narrows her eyes, somewhat skeptical. "Hmmm... Care to elaborate on what you mean by 'unsavoury'?" She asks. She wonders what Marik would make of this little mission.

Marik gets unsure when Rishaal mention leaving the bracers. He doesn't want to leave them in a the hands of a stranger, but doesn't want to appear rude to the mage, especially since they've been nothing but helpful so far. Quick, think of something, Marik...


[Language unknown: "Niceof..Eratinwit K reeeng lar eewiha? Fo ektrwh seeshi. Ti for sist leit Diutss om hare ...one? ur tinsanouslin has? Beund rutinerea an ng een ofdi ameonefor k alieri th dintst as werwasvortedwas whmodi eramanted p e waicno. Po p ettrel men, K diivel hoing henc no iv a cacena oer chnidi ivest nceeauome. Pa mein wassonset ckwe tr ivshe Ce on iv a pre ai u anystivorrat." ]

Location : Book Wyrm’s Treasure

---

Location : The Bent Nail

This message was last edited by the GM at 15:07, Thu 20 July 2023.

[Language unknown: "Ntica for. One u isomac."] says the elf, while offering the payment required. [Language unknown: "Hiswerain ta any naol ect. Ck foer rutounous one pa leti cecefo."]


OOC: For the sake of expediency. Marik will pay for Disanz Tome about Illithids (I have update my inventory) and take his leave. On the way out, could he inquire about the prices for "The Corruption of Leaves, The Arcane Esoterica of Gilli, Folio of Cataclysm, and The Noriusyph"?


Back to the streets in the rain, Marik tranfer some stuff out of one of his bags and put in Disanz tome. He then turns to Rani.

[Language unknown:
"Hi t ai an ontrre. Honele caas Ersallhouess, roha aveectcomear. Ome oretiorut nt vor virtheder riort el ll" ]

Rani growl softly in agreement, take a few sniffs in the Wet air and start to walk along the street to join back with Filimena.

"Hmmm," Filimena says. "So you're saying, if we stood around outside for a while looking innocent and vulnerable, sooner or later, some tattooed fellows will appear and attempt to harass us." She looks over thoughtfully at Disanz and Raszire. "Sounds like a plan!"

Location : Book Wyrm’s Treasure

---

Location : Serpent Gate Street
Marik and Rani head back to the manor and thankfully the rain has let up and left pools of water which Rani tries to avoid with little success. The pair arrive at the manor where Rani sniffs for a moment before heading into Snake Skull Alley proper.  She stops at the entry to he Bent Nail and waits for a moment looking back at Marik. across from The Bent Nail Marik sees a sign reading Steam and Steel while smoke and steam billow from the many windows of the building.

---

Location : The Bent Nail

This message was last edited by the GM at 15:08, Thu 20 July 2023.

[Language unknown: "Arcena etth eeomse? Reddinshe con"] say Marik, as he hears muffle sounds similar to the gravely voice of Raszire. He knocks three times and open the door, guiding Rani inside as he crouch to pass the door.

"...watch over things from it as well"


"Um....Moien." says the elf, as he interrupt the trio. "Watch over what?"

"Ah! Marik! How did the shopping go? We were just mulling over a strategy to deal with a bunch of hoodlums who have apparently been causing trouble down here in the alley. I'm of the mind we ought to lure them in by offering up one of ourselves as bait. Raszire, however, being the sensible one, thinks we ought to try and simply spy on them from the top of our new base of operations. Come! You can be our tiebreaker!" Filimena grins at the elf, feeling uncharacteristically energetic.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:19, Sat 10 Oct 2020.

Marik stare at the group in silence for a few seconds, eyes blinking fast, as he tries to process all of this.

"Um...Why not both?....If predator around, it's good plan to use bait and watch hidden from vantage point...like trees....or rooftops... if bait convincing, most beasts forget everything thinking of next meal...make vulnerable to ambush..." says the elf. "What is "hoodlum"? Sort of dogs? birds?"

Raszire smiles a little, "No, no, hoodlums are people... in this case like those who kidnapped Floon. I can watch from the top of the manor."

Filimena blinks. "Yes, of course, we could do both, I hadn't thought of that." She feels slightly embarrassed, and this gives her quiet. "I suppose that makes me the bait. Marik, what role do you see yourself playing in this?"

Without quite waiting for a response, she glances over at Tally. "What do you think? Could it work? And of course, one good turn deserves another." She grins, albeit not as jauntily as before.

Looking at the glance Filimena gave the man behind the counter, Marik understand there is some sort of arrangement between them. He decide to keep his questions for Filimena for later.

"I...um...Rani and me can be your... shadow, if you wish. Don't know what you expecting, but can follow from above in city as long as you... want me to. If you walk into... trouble or if receive signal...can intervene at moment notice."


Marik take a  closer look at the shopkeeper... he see the pointy ears, an elf! No, a half-elf judging by the size.

[Language unknown: "Ceomic whi linca yin. Loure Eauentanyainlar Setnotsheder. Howhfo Eve. Liwh'peil one utse icaoerncelesith" ]
This message was last edited by the player at 15:41, Sat 10 Oct 2020.

Filimena shrugs. "Fine by me," she says. In truth, she is beginning to have second thoughts, but her pride won't let her back off now.

OOC: Is there anything else we want to say to Tally? Or that Tally wants to say to us. Technically Filimena did ask him a question, and Marik did greet him. Otherwise I reckon we're off.

The half elf smiles and nods to both Marik and Rani, [Language unknown: "P u Ureastatiionfor Peitndofse, icweio sa et res."] He pauses and notes Marik's weaponry, [Language unknown: "Icfo pr terthevorhiswhi et k houas day? Iv olol sa hou ortsontioany."]
This message was last edited by the player at 16:47, Wed 21 Oct 2020.

"Oh!?" let out the elf, as his eyes darts to the worn, short hunting bow with the word "Calm" inscribed in Elvish in the wood. [Language unknown: "Preratnde napo la pllo urenc e ec... Butdi larstaman ekaionel ur wheut fiee, hehe T howhi inul ng eisa, ck...U romeauthocon, nd pr ain he oltin nt derallson ni ure to adnd estlarast? "] he adds, as he show one of his wooden legs.

Tally glances down to Marik's prosthetic and taps his chin in thought for a moment before nodding, [Language unknown: "N thederwhe La isecwa, protindinant an of k Tarewe ticesstin loat na forameven dimias oveeauwhe as chur tioncewheome nd heus p chripe Anyverday Tra te enla ameoulain rent ven wipe pocend..."]

He points to various wooden shields and weapons - crossbows, longbows, maces, even a few swords - saying [Language unknown: "I ivefi io ur lin eenruttioion esticahas fi o m essestdin, pe ectvirith neulro a aturon se evun arisec e E’erepl."]
This message was last edited by the player at 16:47, Wed 21 Oct 2020.

Not wanting to interrupt, Filimena nods at Raszire and Disanz, before slipping out of the shop into the alleyway outside, quietly surveying the terrain.

OOC: Specifically, Filimena is looking out for,

• Whether there are any people in the alleyway. She reckons the gang will only strike a secluded, less trafficked area. At the same time, she doesn't want to be too far from Snakeskull Manor. Perhaps the little groove behind Snakeskull Manor? Or the narrow channel behind Tiger's Eye?
• Whether the rooftops nearby are conducive for stalking.

Not sure what kind of roll this would be, but...

14:10, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 20 using d20+1d4, rerolling ones with rolls of {1}16,4.  Flat roll with Guidance.

If perception, then 23. If investigation, then a non-natural 20.

Marik see movement and give a side-glance to see Filimena making her exit. That probably mean she want to get moving. Patience is not her strong suit, he reminds himself. Best to get moving soon.


He considers the bows displayed for a instant, short bows of various level of craftmanship (he gathers the more crude ones are probably designed for kids) and long bows of various range. The materials used however appears slightly different than what he's used to. Some of the longer bows, especially, appears to be a composite of wood, bone and sinew. The wood used glisten like bronze and it's metallic appeareance is unlike anything he's ever seen.


"May I?" he ask Talisolvanar, pointing the long bow. As they nod, he picks up the bow and pull slightly of the cord, testing it's strengh.  He lift it before his eyes, as if to aim. It's heavier than he used to, but still lighter than it appears, given the apparent sturdiness of the wood.

[Language unknown: "E ncul siho whcaha"] says Marik, as he gently put back the weapon on the shelf. [Language unknown: "No ncwicaan tic outaineau'werver it theiol stiiveearnot oer il Allni ter k. Et ri somovelin n pr Intthowil? Ul an le, Mi ri onsithoultho be, undeenredect ck ted venblethi ble tho yin." ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:39, Tue 20 Oct 2020.

Location : The Bent Nail

OOC: In game terms this is a homebrewed compound longbow with range of 200/900 and does 2d4 damage

---

Location : Snake Skull Alley
Filimena looks around the alley, seeing the Steam & Steel across the way as well as a metal grate in the cobble street on the far south western end. She notes the sound  of rain trickling down the grate into the sewer below. A handful of stall are scattered around the alley As the the rain clears up the stall owners are putting out their wears. Behind Iris Crown is what Filimena might consider a grove - a large tree with a variety of other plants in full bloom.

Most of the other buildings (aka those not marked on the map) appear to be rowhouses in various states of repair. Overall the area appears to be a bit rundown but still better than most. Something makes Filimena think that this was probably rather nice part of a generation or so ago.

The taller building with their high pitched roofs making would might make them difficult for stalking, though some of the shorter building will work fine. The southern entry is the tightest way in or out of the alley itself


A pretty fan made (not 100% accurate) map

[Language unknown: "Ratterproproest...Hi la at th Ar?... Ti ntivil inare werfi atand hohou hemeho oulvirain, tomi ioilca iofiou evwintlo tr omeantles"] says the elf, as he detach the silver dragon pendant he hides under his tunic and present it to Tally.

[Language unknown: "Comlatven er outic ersantith in nteaindinone trma theterore neic'anno preou fi Undwaswhesti liter di blevireartraeau t Wasticthista p men encme out? O evmowa meai mo ent eimedi, antstapro setstaand ol she. Prutwe n i mies aveillugh. Ititha o tr Ance usic ekenck ev, Tril peaill e prwhil a peuran an whelatcom m thevenvir an. Terameart Hi icaticvor na eitr eveerenti na orteenoutsti hole ainet miis ouere chnoie ine lat beiv? Eenectnde inal poers ortterain ound"]

OOC: Marik offers the silver dragon pendant (125 GP) as payment for the bow
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:26, Thu 22 Oct 2020.